This Thing Called Parenting
by Mystic Blade
Summary: Here is the mini interlude following 'Partner of a Bad Blood'. It deals with the two main characters and their new life within the yautja society along with new problems.
1. You Cry, I Cry

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters in the story.

CHAPTER 1:

**You Cry, I Cry**

It was a little over three months since Iliana had given birth to the first hybrid on board the Ade'k'ra in over hundreds of years. Most residents on board the clan ship were surprised the human woman was able to give birth and survive it, but as usual, they ignored the human dwelling aboard. Iliana had been troubled by it when she was still carrying her child and the residents would stare and sometimes even attack, but Kantra or Aru'Kar had been there to protect her. In one incident, Kantra had even killed a fellow clan mate. According to their clan laws, if a subordinate challenged your life, you had a right to kill them. She had been learning their customs and language for the last year but sometimes, she just felt completely lost.

Those thoughts left her head most of the day once her son had come into the world. Now, she only had worries for her son and mate. It was the early morning on board the ship and Iliana was preparing her breakfast. Residents on board the Ade'k'ra had etas, the servant class of the yautja society, to prepare their meals and deliver them privately into homes or publicly in the mess halls. Iliana preferred to give them some days off so she wouldn't feel guilty or lazy, in which Kantra contradicted since it was his people's way but of course, Iliana chose to ignore him.

Humming to herself, she heard a loud cry resonate from her room and she knew her little one had awoken. The child looked completely like his father in physical appearance and she hoped he'd get something from her whether mentally or emotionally. She really wanted her son to share some of her characteristics. Kantra had even joked that he at least got brown hair from her.

_Well, if he looks like you, at least your people won't judge him harshly or believe he's a hybrid at first sight_, she had justified. _At least he'll be safe._

"Kantra! Would you check on Kahet?" she called out.

Kantra had been studying and training nonstop since his trip ended on Earth and after a year, Iliana was surprised he wasn't a stressed out college student. She was proud of his determination but he still had a long way to go. He had begun working under Arbitrator Sau-Trul in Malkor's old position and the arbiter wasn't making his assignments easy. On his days off, Kantra slept late and spent time with his family which he rarely saw most of the week during early hours.

"Kantra! The baby!" she called out again.

Lately, the baby had been crying and salivating more than usual. From what Bai'Kar had informed her, little Kahet would soon start teething. A few days ago, she'd seen the white tip of his soon-to-be sharp tooth. She felt bad for him going through that pain but she'd share it once she breastfed him.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she still heard her son crying in their room. Why hadn't Kantra picked him up yet? Leaving the plates she'd fixed on the table, she walked back barefooted into her large bedroom. Looking in, she saw Kantra wrapped up in their heavy gray pelt while white blankets lay crumpled around the bed. Her usually attractive mate was sprawled facedown on the bed with his mandibles wide open and black dreads hiding most of his head.

"I know you're awake" she snapped and kicked the foot of the bed. "Your hearing is more acute than mine and I heard the baby outside!"

"It's early and I'm tired" Kantra responded groggily.

"So, you're letting him cry his lungs out?" she asked, annoyed. "You could've put him in bed with you until he fell asleep again!"

"And if I fell asleep? I'd flatten our only child!" he shot back and hid under the pelt more.

"He's teething, Kantra" she pointed out. "He's in pain and all you can think of is to sleep?!"

Growling in her human way, Iliana walked over to her son's crib to see his green eyes in tears while waving his arms for attention and crumpling his sheets with his feet. Wrapping him up in a blanket since he only wore his usual cloth diaper due to the heat, she picked him up. She hummed to soothe him and stroked his head softly until his cries became quiet sobs.

"Could you take him outside? I'm exhausted" Kantra complained. "Sau-Trul made me do 5 reports on a 250 year old law yesterday. 250 years, Iliana! Not even my own father's that old!"

"Well, your son needs you and you complain?" she asked, furious. "He's our baby, Kantra!"

"In my society, women care for the children 100 of the time" he pointed out and poked his head out from underneath the covers. "Males interact once they reach adolescence to prepare them to hunt."

"Well, in _my_ society, both parties usually take part" she said, firmly.

"Could we argue later? I really am tired" Kantra growled.

"Fine" she said, grimly. "I will be taking care of my son while you sleep."

Yanking one of the blankets off the bed angrily, Iliana left with her whimpering son to go out into the living room. Kantra hissed to himself for getting his mate upset over their son. It's not like he didn't want to take care of the suckling, he was just so exhausted from his new profession. Elder Lar'Ain was not joking when he said he needed to gain the knowledge of males twice his age. Sighing once again, he heard his son crying outside and tried to get some sleep.

"I have to make it up to her or she'll be furious for a week" he mumbled.

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Iliana placed a dab of soothing medicine on Kahet's gums while his mandibles tickled her wrist. Smiling, she kissed his forehead and waited for it to take effect. A minute later, she held a cooing baby while lying inside a hammock to relax with him. Watching the window to her left that showed the vast openness of space, she wished to see the Earth's blue sky but knew that would only be a fantasy in her dreams.

_I miss it every time I'm angry_, she thought. _Dumb Kantra. If he wasn't lazy today, I wouldn't be thinking about it._

"It'll pass" she soothed her babbling child. He kept moving his mandibles and tried to mimic a sound but no such luck. "It'll be a bit before you can purr like your father, which I am very angry at, I might add."

"Didn't even want to hold his baby" she scoffed and tickled her son's chest. He just gave her a blank look. "One day you'll complain like your dad too. Probably about a weapon or girl trouble."

The baby yawned and she placed his head against her neck so he'd fall asleep faster. Soothing his back, he breathed softly while grasping her nightgown in his small hands. She hummed to him until he fell asleep again and hoped he'd sleep longer this time.

_Parenthood is not easy_, she thought. _But someone has to do it._

"Too bad I can't kick Kantra's butt here without getting in trouble" she snorted. "Man, those were fun times on Earth."

Going back to her early memories when she met Kantra, she fell asleep with a contended smile on her face.

A while later, Kantra walked out of his room after a quick shower and donned a simple loincloth and sandals. He purred in delight at being able to sleep in today and not see Arbitrator Sau-Trul in the Arbitrator sector of the ship. Walking into the main room, he spotted Iliana and Kahet in a red hammock next to their large window. He walked over to them and expected a long tongue lashing but found his mate asleep instead.

"Thank you" Kantra prayed to his gods. "She's asleep. You came through for me."

Seeing his suckling asleep, he bent down and picked him up gently to hold him in his arms. Kahet simply let out a small huff of air and adjusted himself in his father's arms to keep sleeping. Kantra smiled and took his son towards their bedroom.

"We'll let your mother sleep a little more before she attacks me" he whispered to him. "No matter how much we fight, you're our main priority. Everything I do is for both of you."

Kantra reached the crib and gently placed Kahet within it. Wrapping another blanket over him to make sure he wouldn't be cold, he ran his fingertip over his son's hand.

"I don't mean to be cranky, it's just me in the morning" he admitted softly. "You mean everything to me, my little one. I will never let you down and I will always protect you with my life."

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Iliana woke up an hour or so later and gasped at realizing she'd fallen asleep with her baby. Her first thought was similar to Kantra's 'what if I crushed him?' and looked inside the hammock instantly at not feeling or seeing Kahet's body against hers.

"Where's my baby?" she whispered in fright. Thinking her child might be in danger, her senses went wild and she shouted out, "Kantra!"

She jumped out of the hammock and searched for the green ex-hunter until she spotted him in the dining room. Running to him frantically, she grabbed his attention by digging her fingers into his forearm in a vice grip. Kantra, surprised by the new sensation, turned and was surprised to find a disheveled woman instead of expecting an angry one.

"Kantra, I can't find Kahet! I had him when I went to sleep and now-" she stumbled from panic. Kantra soothed her shoulders with his hands instantly which made her surprised. "Are you not worried?!"

"He's safe, I put him in his crib so you could sleep" he said, embracing her tightly. Her hyperventilated breaths became more quiet until she relaxed. "I'd never let anyone place a hand on our son, I'd rip them in half before they came within a meter of him."

_Oh, thank god_, she thought in relief. _If something happened, I'd go insane._

"I was so worried, I thought someone had taken him" she said, feeling upset and near tears. "I don't ever want to feel that way again."

"When I'm here, you have no need to fear" Kantra said, softly. "Our son is fine so relax, Ana. I don't want you upset over this."

"I know, but still-" she hesitated and wiped her watery eyes. "I don't want anything to ever happen to him. He's small and vulnerable in this world."

"Nothing will while we're here" he purred and caressed her cheek with the palm of his hand. "Don't cry, Iliana."

She hugged him again and breathed in his rainy forest scent that always made her relax. He soothed her back like he did with his son earlier and luckily, it worked.

"Do you think I'll get this parenting thing?" she asked, timidly. "We had our baby so quick, Kantra. Maybe we should've waited-"

"You are a wonderful mother, I could ask for no one better" he said, purring into her neck. "If at all, I'm the worst parent out of both of us. I can't even bottle feed Kahet without him crying and don't even get me started on the baths."

"Kantra" she said, holding back a chuckle.

"I can't even put medicine on right, I accidentally poked his poor gums two days ago" he said, exasperated. "And the diapers, I can't even look at them!"

"I get it, okay?!" she asked, her mood lightening again. "But I'm proud of you for trying."

Kantra felt pleased until, "If you think this lets you off about today, you're wrong. You weren't even two feet from him and you left him to cry."

"I thought you'd get him, you always do!" he sighed in complaint. She let go of him and placed her hands on her hips. "Iliana, you know how exhausting it is for me lately. Please try to understand what I go through."

She nodded in understanding and wrapped her arms around him again. She knew his path would not be easy but she had to support him, even if it meant doing most of the things at home. She just hated why they didn't give him an easy assignment once in a while but it was his culture, not hers.

"I know and I try to" she said, kissing the side of his neck. "You work hard and you need your rest but our baby also needs attention right now. You know I only ask for your help when I really need it."

"Right now, it's quiet and we don't have to worry" he said, enjoying her caresses. "Except for the food. It's cold but we can reheat it."

"You're lucky I don't give you a cold meal after what you did" she scolded him. He hissed. "Don't make me kick you between the legs like I used to."

"Do I have to get on my knees and beg? I'm not Eliok" he grinned. She glared. He gulped, "But I will for you, my dear. . .rose?"

"You suck at romance" she snickered. "A rose, Kantra? Really now."

"Yautjas are not romantic, we're fierce hunters" he pointed out. "I don't even know what a rose is! I remember it from some shit on your ooman television back on Earth."

"There's my loudmouth crank of a mate" Iliana said, happily. He growled in return but nodded. "I've missed having you to myself."

She trailed her fingertips down his chest teasingly while kissing his warm neck eagerly. Purring in content, he lifted her up and placed her on the table in which she yanked his dreads to bring his face down. Kissing his lower mandibles, he opened them and kissed her fully. Exploring her mouth with his tongue, his fingers reached for the straps on her gown so he could get her out of it. Usually, he ripped it off but after three nightgowns, she had denied him until he stopped tearing them and learned how to take them off properly.

"You make me do crazy things, you know that?" he asked, biting her neck softly.

"So do you, maybe that's why I'm the only one who understands you" she laughed while feeling his tongue make circles on her neck. "Imagine how our Kahet will be."

"As long as he doesn't blow up a planet, we'll be all right" Kantra chuckled and cupped her face in his hands. "If I knew I'd end up with a human, back then, I would've shot whoever told me that."

"I called you a stalker when you kept coming to my apartment" she giggled at the memory. Kissing his neck, she whispered, "You wanted to kill me so badly, didn't you?"

"I'm glad I didn't" he purred into her neck. "I don't know where I'd be without you but it wouldn't be here."

Her lips trailed down from his neck to his chest while her fingers traced the muscle lines on his abdomen. Growling softly, he gripped her gown and accidentally pulled one of the straps right off of it. Opening his eyes, he tried to hide it by squeezing her shoulder affectionately instead. She instantly grabbed his hand away and looked at her torn gown.

"It's not going to be a good day, is it?" he sighed and got ready for an ear full.

"Who the heck cares? I haven't been with you since my last trimester" she said, throwing her arms around him. "I'm fully well and ready to go so you're getting in a bed and I don't care how tired you are today."

"Whatever you say" he purred happily.

"Wahhhhhhh!" a voice cried out.

_Oh no_, Kantra thought. _Not now. Please, not now!_

"He's crying" Iliana said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Duty calls."

"No, we were so close" Kantra whined into her neck. "Maybe he'll go back to sleep."

"Not with his tooth coming out" she sighed and pried herself away from him. "Let's go. Maybe we can try next week."

"Next week?!" Kantra cried out in despair. "Why must the gods conspire against me?!"

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"I am going insane!" Kantra complained at a visit to his brother's home. "We were close, so close! I almost felt like crying, and we literally don't cry!

"Why don't you just let mother watch over him?" Aru'Kar suggested. "She's in a happy grandmother zone right now."

"Iliana would still worry" he sighed in defeat. "Mothers have this weird rule that they must never let their children go one second from their sight."

"It's called safety" his brother laughed at him. "I still say you should ask. You might get some relaxation time. You're nothing but an assistant to Sau-Trul and a father lately."

"Tell me about it" Kantra said, taking a drink from his cup. "I swear that man takes it out on me every time he has a fight with Sali'ah!"

"You're crazy" Aru'Kar snorted and kicked his brother's leg.

"No, I'm not!" he shot back. "Last year, you didn't believe me when I saw them together so who's crazy now? You are, you big overgrown-"

Aru'Kar grabbed him into a headlock while Kantra struggled to get him off. Slamming his foot down on top of his, he bit his brother's arm until he let go. Aru'Kar smacked him over the head in which Kantra punched him in the stomach.

"What're you? Kila and Nak-De combined?" Aru'Kar growled.

"Wahhhhhhhhhh!"

"He's crying again! He's a ticking time bomb!" Kantra wailed and got on his knees. "I hope Iliana enjoys this alone time."

"Stop being a child and console yours" his brother ordered. Then sighed to himself, "Never get a ooman pregnant. I may end up in the same situation and commit suicide."

"I can hear you, you idiot" Kantra complained and picked up his son from the weird contraption called a 'stroller' that Eliok had swiped for them. "Oomans have the oddest child beds."

Pulling out a bag from the side, he poured out the contents while his son cried next to his ear until he found the medicine for Kahet's gums.

"If Father saw you carrying a female bag, he'd murder you" Aru'Kar mocked him.

"And I'll murder _you_ if you tell him" he shot back. Then held out the baby, "Now hold him while I fix his medicine."

"Do I look like a female? No, I am a Hunter" Aru'Kar objected. "I know nothing of children except how they're made and where they come from."

"Hold him or I'll rip out your arm!" Kantra roared.

"Fine, when you put it that way" his brother snorted and grabbed the screaming child.

He grabbed the child awkwardly into one arm while moving his head to the side to avoid the loud sobs. He decided to poke him gently to see if it'd make him happier.

"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"You made him even louder!" Kantra yelled while fiddling with the medicine. "Stop poking my son like he's a piece of meat! If he wasn't in your arms, I'd kill you! Purr to him!"

"Are you crazy? I'm not purring unless it's a grown female!" he objected but at seeing his brother's death glare, he sighed, "If you tell _anyone_-"

"Now, Aru'Kar!"

Growling, Aru'Kar sucked in his manly pride and purred roughly to the child. Kahet was instantly frightened and kept crying. Taking it down a notch, the child showed no different results. After a minute of purring, Aru'Kar wanted to kill himself while Kahet looked to his father for heavenly salvation.

Getting up, Kantra took his weeping son back instantly and rubbed the medicine onto his gums once he opened his mouth. Purring to him gently, Kahet cooed in content and Kantra rocked him while the medicine worked. The child then became excited and began sucking and gnawing on one of his father's dreads.

"How did you get him to do that?!" his brother asked, amazed. "I thought he'd actually explode for a second."

"A lot of training in fatherhood" Kantra sighed and tickled his son's foot. "I guess I'm not so bad after all."

"You were louder than he was at that age" Aru'Kar scoffed. His brother glared. "I had to move into the main room to get away from your noise. I was one sad twelve year old with a lot of insomnia."

"I hope you have whinier kids" Kantra cursed him.

"After this, I don't think I want any despite what the clan says" he shuddered. "Augh, the crying!"

"You only held him for a minute!" Kantra pointed out.

"It was more than enough!" he shot back angrily.

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"You owe me a lot of lovemaking after the day I had" Kantra demanded after the door opened to let him into his home. After not seeing his mate there, he called, "Iliana! I'm complaining so come listen to me!

He sighed and walked into his main room which contained tables, chairs, and seats for his family and other visitors. Despite the similar silver walls in every room on board the Ade'k'ra, Bai'Kar and Iliana had decorated it to contrast with other color decorations. It was oddly strange how they made their home look like a cross between an 18th century American home and a simple retro room. He also disliked the scent of flowers but if it pleased his mate, he wouldn't argue. He untied his babbling son who had a chew toy in his mouth from his confinement and held him in one arm.

Walking through the hallways of his home, he found her listening to music from a small box on their bed while happily reading a book. Eliok had found her the odd contraption on his many travels and since she loved music, she threatened to kill him if he didn't hand it over. Yautjas rarely listened to music but humans, on the other hand, loved it so she tried to hear as much intergalactic music as she could. . .even if she didn't understand what they were singing half the time.

"And how are my two special guys?" she asked, looking up from her book. Kantra walked over to their bed and sat down.

"Are you sure we don't have a defective child?" he asked, calmly. "Because he is a non-stop crier! I do everything you do and he still cries!"

"There's nothing wrong with him, you big baby" Iliana said, punching his arm. Grabbing the gurgling child from him, she took his toy and popped out a pacifier from under her pillow and placed it in his mouth. Kahet happily sucked at it and cooed to his mother. "He probably just loves me more than you."

"That isn't making me feel better!" he said, quickly. Then relaxed, "I want to be a good father."

"And you are, this will pass, okay?" she said, soothing the place she'd hit him at before. "Once the tooth comes out, he'll be happy again."

"Males in my society would be driven insane by it" he sighed and collapsed onto their bed. "My own brother wants to remain celibate now."

"Yeah right, he'll be humping a female by tomorrow afternoon" Iliana laughed out loud.

"At least he's getting some" Kantra whined. Iliana kicked his side with the heel of her foot. "Ow!"

"You're more of baby than Kahet!" she said, laying the baby down on the bed on his back. "You will not turn my baby to whiney when he gets older."

"I am not childish!" he hissed in protest. Then smirked, "That would mean you are attracted to childish males."

"Maybe I am, I never thought I'd be attracted to an alien but here we are a year and a half later" she stated in fact. He sulked and draped his arm over his eyes. "We're just crazy that way."

"Crazy is not a good word in both our societies" he said, firmly. "Our relationship is more. . .eccentric."

Placing herself in between Kantra and the baby on the bed, she kissed her mate's cheek and went back to coddling the baby with attention. Rumbling his chest in annoyance that he lost her attention, he poked her back with his claws.

"Hey, those are sharp!" she cried and swiped at his hand with hers. "Kantra!"

After a few more seconds of torture, he stopped and turned to his side so he could embrace her. While wrapping an arm around her waist, she kicked his foot with hers.

"That's not funny" she said, faking her anger and kissing her baby's forehead.

"I thought it was" he purred and nipped at the back of her neck softly. "You drive me insane, Ana."

_I wish we could mate but she does not let the baby out of her sight_, he thought.

He bit her neck firmly causing her back to arch against his frame in pain and pleasure. Grazing her shoulder with his mandibles, he purred into her neck and flicked his tongue behind her ear.

"Kantra, the baby is right here with us" she said, resisting him. "I will not traumatize him."

"He's three months!" Kantra whined. "Even I don't remember being that age. I need to be with you, Ana. It's been 6 months!"

Sighing, she grabbed Kahet and headed outside. Seeing her shut the door, Kantra cursed himself again at ruining the moment. He pretty much guessed that Iliana's side of the bed would be cold tonight so he just lay on his back and growled. His life had changed a lot with his first child but he couldn't complain, Iliana had most of the responsibility and he had his.

_Sometimes I do wish it still were just the two of us alone, like we were on Earth_, he thought in remembrance.

"I miss those days" he sighed, feeling depressed.

He heard the door open minutes later and Iliana walked in by herself. Taking off her sandals, she got onto the bed and poked Kantra between the eyes.

"How long will this argument last before I'm in the wrong?" he sighed in defeat.

"I took some of Sali'ah's advice and let your mother watch him for a few hours" she grinned and leaned down to kiss his neck eagerly. "I've missed being alone with you, and we're always so busy now so we need this small rest."

"You won't be resting if I have my way" he purred and pinned her body against his.

"Good, I don't plan to" she smirked and grabbed his loincloth. "Now, off with this!"

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**End of Chapter 1**. Here's the mini interlude before the sequel and basically deals with Iliana adjusting to her role in yautja society and mothering along with Kantra's complaining of how things should be. Also, I've posted the sketches of Kantra, Iliana, and Eliok in my profile so check it out! As usual, this story is made out for the fans.


	2. To Be A Mama Bear or Warrior Princess

CHAPTER 2:

**To Be A Mama Bear or Warrior Princess**

"Mama!" Kahet blubbered while crying his eyes out. He sat down in front of the exit and entrance to their home.

He kept crying while pointing to the door. The hybrid child was now eight months old and had now learned his first word. Unfortunately for Kantra, it was not father but 'mama'. The child was also able to stand up while holding onto something but not able to walk. Today, he wore a grey sleeveless cotton shirt from Earth and a black loincloth with a diaper underneath. He wailed on the floor for his mother to pay attention to him.

"Ma!" he cried, waving his hands furiously at her.

Iliana, however, was trying to fold their laundry so her morning chores would be finished. She wore a yellow ankle-length dress with slits to the knees while wearing her hair up in a ponytail. Wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, she finished Kahet's clothes and started folding her own. The distraction of the wailing infant was very distracting, nonetheless.

"Kahet, please stop crying" she said, putting the clothes down. "Your father will be back soon, he just went to work."

He shook his head and kept crying while hitting his fists on the door. Seeing his mother go back to fixing their clothes, he let out a piercing wail that surprised Iliana.

"Kahet!" she scolded but it made him let out another one. "How in the world do you get so loud?"

Walking over to the screaming infant, she picked him up but he struggled while crying. She held him tightly against her but he still kept sobbing.

"We can't see your father, it's not possible" she said, drying his wet eyes. He whined sadly and pushed her hand away. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Your daddy misses you too but we can't bother him while he's doing important things."

She hugged her upset son until his cries became sniffles. He cuddled up to her after seeing that his father wasn't going to show up soon. Iliana hated to see her son upset and usually tries to cheer him up with an alternative.

"Why don't we go see Aunt Sali'ah? She loves you as much as Grandma Bai'Kar" she suggested and kissed his drying cheek. He nodded slowly and pointed to the door.

She walked over to the door and grabbed her baby bag from a table nearby. Pressing in the code to lock her home, she walked outside and made sure the door shut right before walking away. The hallways of the Ade'k'ra were wide and humid on most levels with walls ranging from silver to a dark grey. Usually, Iliana tried to stay out of any hunter's pathway when they traveled through this part of their ship. Females didn't bother Iliana since she was a mother and always carried her child around. The levels on the Ade'k'ra were sorted from the etas, young bloods, blooded hunters and warriors, families, arbitrators, and finally, the Elder and his faction.

"Now you're happy, huh?" she asked, smiling. Kahet nodded and waved his arms happily.

"I know you want to see your father but this will make you happy too" she said, caressing his small hand.

He purred and wrapped his smaller arms around her neck. Iliana sighed in relief that he had finally calmed down and was happy again. Fixing his tear-stained shirt, she accidentally bumped into someone. Gasping in surprise, she stared nervously at two male hunters standing in front of her.

_Oh man_, she thought. _They're usually irritable._

"I apologize, I didn't see you there" she said, dipping her head.

"I knew oomans were pathetically clumsy but not to this extreme" one of them barked. "Are you blind?"

"No, I was fixing my son's clothes" she said, half-nervous and half-angry. "It was an accident."

"Then get out of the way before someone 'accidentally' injures you" the same one snapped while the other simply stared elsewhere.

"You can't harm a female carrying her child, I'm not a hunter like you" she snapped back.

"You're nothing but prey no matter what the Elder may think" he said, pointing his spear at her. Kahet sensed his mother's nervousness and began to cry. "Your kind isn't welcome here and your little half-breed won't make it far either."

"Don't insult my son, you bastard" she said, angrily. "If you can't stand being near me, then you're free to leave."

"You filthy little-" he growled.

"What is going on here?" a deep voice demanded.

Iliana spotted Nak-De and Badru behind the hunters instantly. These hunters might've been able to scare Iliana but she was pretty sure Nak-De could take them down easily, without Badru's help. No one wanted to get into a useless fight with the aggressive instructor.

"Why are you bothering a female and her child within the family sector of the Ade'k'ra?" Nak-De snapped.

"She crossed my path and I merely informed her to watch it next time" the hunter responded.

"Good, because I'll gladly kill hunters who threaten females on board" Nak-De said, narrowing his eyes. "And if I see you bothering her again or making my nephew cry, your head will be in my trophy collection within hours. Now, get out of my sight."

The hunters nodded and left in which Iliana sighed in relief. Holding her son, she calmed him until he stopped crying. Badru walked over and tickled the toddler's stomach making him purr.

"There we go, a happy pup" he grinned.

"Thank you, Nak-De" Iliana said, looking at the greenish warrior. "I don't know what would've happened if you weren't here."

"Did you provoke them?" he asked instantly.

"No, I apologized and he kept insulting me" she said, quickly. "If I got angry, well, he deserved it!"

"Angering a hunter can mean death in our society, Iliana" he growled disapprovingly. "You have a pup to worry about."

"So I'm supposed to let everyone walk over me just because I'm human?" she asked, annoyed.

"No, but you must learn to pick your battles" he said, firmly. "You cannot fight a full-grown male while holding a child in your arms."

"At least she wasn't scared to" Badru piped in.

"I'm not talking to you!" his brother snapped. "If I wasn't here, that male could've killed you and left your child in an eta quarter."

_He's right_, she thought.

"I know, Nak-De" she said, sighing. "But I hate feeling defenseless. I don't want to lead a submissive life just because I'm different. I want to prove I can do something in this society, even if it means kicking some ass along the way."

"Good for you" Badru nodded but his brother smacked his head. "What is it with you and hitting people?!"

"It helps them behave" he grunted and shrugged. "And it's part of my job."

"No, it's not!" Badru groaned, massaging his bruised head. "You're not my teacher anymore!"

"I'm your brother and it entitles hitting privileges" Nak-De smirked and then turned to Iliana, "Where were you headed? Badru and I will escort you there."

Iliana hated feeling like a child but they were right. She didn't want to get into a dangerous situation when she had a child to worry about. But she really did hate feeling helpless in this society.

"Thank you" she said, politely.

"Could I hold the pup? He doesn't bite me like Kila does" Badru asked Iliana. She grinned and handed over the toddler to his uncle. "And he's the only pup that actually lets me hold him."

"You'll probably be his favorite uncle then" Iliana said, her mood lightening again.

"Aw, and Aru'Kar had his heart set on that position" Badru laughed while Nak-De just shook his head.

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"Good for you, no female should take any crap from a male!" Sali'ah nodded proudly to Iliana. "The thing is that it's not wise to pick a fight when you're outnumbered."

"I know and Nak-De made sure to point it out" Iliana sighed while Kahet curled up against his aunt's side. "I hate it when people pick on me."

"So do I, that's why I beat the hell out of them" she smirked and then sighed. "Unfortunately, now that I'm pregnant, I can't do it. Now, I just take out my aggression on Sau-Trul."

"I did the same with Kantra" Iliana smiled, then laughed. "For the last months of my pregnancy, he just worked nonstop and rarely came home."

"Sau-Trul does the same and when he doesn't have work, he makes up his own mission so he can leave" Sali'ah laughed with her. "But in the end, he can't escape the sucklings once they're born."

"You're a tough woman, Sali'ah" Iliana praised her. "That's why I love talking to you."

"Tough women stick together" she said, patting her nephew on the head who purred at her. "He's so cute. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a horde of females after him when he's grown."

"That gives me another reason to learn to fight" Iliana said, quickly. "I don't want my baby to just go off with someone weak and unappreciative of him one day."

"I'd love to teach you to fight, Iliana" Sali'ah smiled softly. "But in my condition, I can't."

"I understand, I just wish Nak-De wasn't so grumpy so he could teach me" Iliana complained. "All he can do is complain about how squishy I am."

"That's my brother all right" she laughed and shook her head. "But I know who can start your training and once you can kick Nak-De's butt, then _he'll_ train you."

"He's not worse than Nak-De, is he?" Iliana asked, hesitant.

_I don't want him to throw me through a wall though_, she thought. _I'd like to live to see my first fight._

"Naw, it's Aru'Kar" the other woman said, waving her hand. "He's a pretty good trainer. He taught Kantra when they were younger."

"Hmm, that's not bad at all" Iliana said, excited. "Do you think he has time to do it though? I know he's the captain of his team and has missions to do."

"He'll do it, don't worry" Sali'ah assured her. "You're family, he can't say no. If he does, I'll break a chair over his head."

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"You're sure about this?" Aru'Kar asked, crossing his arms.

Sali'ah had dropped off Iliana at Aru'Kar's quarters a few minutes ago. Kahet played on the floor with some toys while the two adults talked a few feet from him.

"Yes!" Iliana said, exasperated. "Is it a crime to want to fight? You guys love to beat the crap out of each other from what I've seen! Your motto is practically 'Fightin' Round the Universe'. "

"Yes, but we're males" he said, as if it justified everything. She glared. "Women in our society do not fight unless they're huntresses and if so, they have no children or permanent ties. You do, which means your position is meant to be in the home to raise a family."

"How can I protect my family when I don't know how to fight then?" she questioned. "I don't like feeling powerless, Aru'Kar, you know how I am."

"Yes, but your society is much different than mine" he stated. "It is rare to see a female training when she has settled down. That is why our society is mostly composed of male hunters because females stay here to guard their family."

"You said 'guard' so why can't I 'guard'?" she smirked in which he sighed. "Aru'Kar, you owe me for what I did for you."

"I know" he nodded and unsheathed a dagger from his belt. Pointing it at her, he said, "I owe you my life and honor for what you did. For that, I will train you but you must promise me that if I come after you with a weapon, you will not run."

"I fought Kantra when he wanted to kill me, I won't run from you" she said, determined.

"Good" he nodded and surprised her by throwing a punch at her.

_What the hell?_, she thought quickly.

Her body kicked in her body's fight or flight response in which she dodged to the side quickly. She landed a kick on his stomach but before she could take back her leg, he grasped it in his hand tightly.

"Your reflexes aren't bad" he said, letting her foot go free. "We'll work on those tomorrow."

"You could've warned me, Aru'Kar!" she snapped.

"Your enemies won't give you a warning" he said, simply. "They will only seek to kill you in the quickest way possible."

"I'll take that as advice so thank you" she said, nodding.

_I'm so glad he agreed_, she thought gratefully.

"Dress in comfortable clothes that you won't use" he instructed. "I'll supply your weapons."

"Sure thing, teacher" she grinned and saluted him. Catching him off guard, she punched him in the stomach. "I got you!"

_Damn it_, he thought. _I knew she wouldn't forgive me that easily._

"Because I let you!" he said quickly and tried to hide his actual surprise. He flicked her forehead with his finger and smirked, "Don't get cocky."

She hit him on the shoulder and heard happy squeals from behind. They both turned to see Kahet mimicking them while holding on to a small table. He kicked his leg out but it only made him fall down. Giggling, he hit the floor with a playful punch.

"It'd be best to leave him with my mother, I don't want him developing too many skills before he's of age" Aru'Kar said, laughing. "That and Kantra will be pissed off if he learns bad behaviors from me."

"Always the watchful older brother" she said, smiling.

"It's either that or let them drive me insane" he said, chuckling.

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"Iliana, I'm home!" Kantra called out. He remembered the quote from an old ooman television show Iliana watched at her old home. "Iliana!"

He threw his report tablets onto the table next to the door and searched for his mate. While walking through the hallways of his home, he picked up her voice and followed it all the way to their bedroom. In there, he found her fixing their clothes while making another pile separate from it.

"What are you two doing?" he called into the room, surprising Iliana.

"Just fixing the laundry" she said, turning around. "How are you?"

"I'm a lot better now" he said, grabbing her into his arms. After giving her a quick kiss, he said, "How about you?"

"Kahet wouldn't stop crying for you today" she said, smiling. "You should've seen him. The poor dear looked heartbroken."

Kantra looked to see Kahet sitting down on the bed and went to sit down next to him. His son happily squealed and crawled over to his father to hug him. Kantra purred affectionately and hugged him in return. Iliana just smiled at the tender moment and returned to do the laundry.

"My brother told me something interesting today" Kantra said, offhandedly.

_Oh no_, she thought.

"Which one? You have a lot" she said, nonchalantly.

"Aru'Kar" he said, firmly. "He told me something interesting a few minutes ago."

_Flashback_

"_What is it? It better be quick because I'm starving" Kantra said, entering his brother's quarters. He had just finished his duties for the day when Aru'Kar had called him to go to his home._

"_It is" Aru'Kar said, polishing a new trophy he'd just gained. "You can sit down."_

"_Are you still polishing that thing? You got it weeks ago!" Kantra said, loudly._

"_When you get a skull, you can polish it the way you like" his brother said, ignoring him. Then grinned, "Oh wait, you gave up hunting to become an Arbitrator."_

_Wise guy, Kantra thought._

"_Would you just tell me what you need to?" he asked, leaning against the wall near the entrance._

"_Your mate was almost attacked today but Nak-De found her" Aru'Kar informed him. Kantra tensed up at his brother's words. "She is uninjured but she was frightened by it. I thought you'd have an escort for her when she travels around the ship."_

"_She didn't want one" Kantra sighed and then hissed, "Why would someone attack her when she has a child with her?"_

"_Because some on board think of her as prey" Aru'Kar said, softly. "You know that our people see oomans as prey only and it is very rare that we accept one among us. She is the first and her path will be hard here."_

"_She can handle it, I'm just worried about her temperament" he sighed and stood up. "I will talk to her about it once I get home."_

"_Good, I'd hate for anything to happen to her or Kahet" his brother nodded while Kantra left._

_End flashback_

"Before you yell, I didn't provoke them" Iliana said, raising her finger at him. "I was nice but they were total assholes who should've been beaten up. But since I can't, I was defenseless."

"Why would you go out unprotected?" Kantra asked, worried. "I don't want anything to happen to you or Kahet. I would never forgive myself if it did."

_He's so sweet_, she thought.

"Kahet wanted to see you but since he couldn't, we headed over to your sister's" she explained. Then looked down, "You know how much I spoil him."

"Next time ask her to visit you" he ordered.

"Kantra, I can't be locked up just because I'm human" she said, standing up in frustration. "If I don't show my face around, everyone will think I'm scared and not worthy to even live here. I need to have a life outside this home."

"But you're protected while you're in here" Kantra insisted. "I can't protect you when I'm away, Iliana."

"I don't need a man to protect me when I can learn to do it myself, I'm not made of glass" she pointed out in which he growled. "I'm an independent woman, Kantra, you've known that since you met me . . .which is why Aru'Kar will be training me."

"He what?" Kantra asked, surprised. She gulped and guessed he hadn't told him that.

_Is she insane?!_, he thought.

"He didn't tell you?" she asked, meekly. "I asked him to teach me to fight so I can defend myself if a problem ever arises again."

"If you do, you'll practically be prey again!" he said, angry. "You cannot fight in this society unless you wish to keep fighting males for some sort of rank. Didn't you learn anything from fighting me back then?"

_Whenever he's angry, he never listens_, she thought.

"I want to protect my family, that's why I'm doing this" she said, reasoning with him. "I'm not going to start hitting people with a dueling glove so we can fight. I'm doing the same thing you do for me."

"But I'm a male, there's no problem with that!" he snapped. "You're almost breaking a taboo in this society."

"Please let me do this, Kantra" she pleaded, grabbing his hand into hers. "I hate feeling helpless here whenever I go out with or without Kahet. I've never felt like this on Earth, please try to understand. I'm trying really hard to understand everything here but it scares me sometimes, I need to be able to protect myself."

Kantra watched his mate struggle with her emotions and nodded. He knew it wouldn't be easy to change from one energetic society to an aggressive one. She had made many sacrifices to come and live with him here. Even when he'd been on Earth, he was surprised by the different customs and he was only there for five months.

_And my mate has to stay here forever_, he thought solemnly.

"Do you regret leaving Earth?" he asked, quietly.

"No, because I wouldn't have you and Kahet with me" she said, squeezing his hand. "You're my family and I'll always fight for you."

"I know, that's what worries me" he said, smiling nervously. "You're a natural born fighter."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. Oh, how she loved him. He was as aggressive as his kind but he was peaceful with her privately. She didn't like to make him feel guilty for making her leave Earth; it was her decision, not his.

"Kahet, spit that out!" Kantra ordered, making her snap out of her thoughts.

She let go of him and saw Kahet biting into Iliana's music cube. He nibbled on its corner while purring joyfully. Kantra walked over to him and tugged softly at it. His son whined in protest and pulled it closer with his hands.

"Kahet, give the object to me" his father ordered.

Kahet shook his head and kept salivating over it while wrapping his small mandibles around it. Iliana laughed at the scene while Kantra tugged at the object until he carefully took it out of his son's mouth. Kahet's eyes then began to water and a loud cry uttered from his mouth.

"Kahet, you can't have that" Kantra tried to reason and picked him up. "It's your mother's and you know how she is."

"Hey!" she objected.

Kahet kept crying and tried to reach for the object in Kantra's hands. He gave it to Iliana who put it away making Kahet bang his fists onto his father's chest. He wailed in his father's arms while Kantra bounced him on his lap to see if he calmed down.

"Fada!" Kahet cried and wiped his eyes. Then pointing to Iliana, "Mama take!"

"He said your name!" Iliana said, happily. She clapped her hands and laughed, "He said it!"

_He called me father. . .somewhat_, he thought.

"About time" Kantra said, proudly. "And he complained about you for the first time. He's my boy all right."

"Stop picking on me" she said, kicking his leg playfully.

"Mama!" Kahet hissed protectively and hugged his father.

"You turned him against me, nice" she joked and went to Kahet's toy box to find a suitable object for him to play with. Finding a toy spaceship, she walked over and gave it to him. He grabbed it curiously and let out a delighted purr. "He's back to normal again."

"You really have to stop spoiling him" Kantra said to her. She snorted. "What will happen if you get pregnant again one day?"

"I'll spoil them both" she smirked proudly.

"Fada" Kahet said, showing his toy to Kantra.

"Nice, isn't it? And one day you'll have your own to take through the galaxies" Kantra smiled at him and stroked his son's back, "You'll be a great hunter one day."

"And you say I spoil him" Iliana laughed.

"I encourage, you spoil" he corrected her. She huffed and kicked him again. "Ow!"

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**End of Chapter 2**. And here we have Iliana's current place in yautja society. Will she fit in? Will she stop spoiling Kahet? Find out next time! I've also put up a poll on my profile, so whoever you want to see sketched from my old story, you can vote! If for some reason Iliana, Kantra, or Eliok win, I'll skip forward to the next winner and draw them.


	3. First Steps Into Madness

CHAPTER 3:

**First Steps Into Madness**

Kantra had been in a blissful slumber until he heard bangs and thumps echo into his room. Opening his mandibles and practically growling like a lazy lion, Kantra shook the sleep out of his head and sat up to stretch. He looked to the left and expected Iliana on the other side but found no one. Guessing that the thumps outside were hers, he pulled off his covers to go see what his mate was doing now. Before going out, he checked on his one year old to find him still asleep in his crib. Kantra walked outside their room and found tools scattered throughout their entire home. Wondering what crazy thing she was doing, he walked into his trophy room to find Iliana on the floor with a silver and sleek power drill. His first thought was to protect his trophies, which his mother had saved for him despite being a Bad Blood years ago, by sacrificing his own body but became rational.

"What are you doing, my dearest?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"Baby-proofing our home" she answered and took off some orange goggles. "I'm building doors to cover your trophies so the baby can't get to them. I just need one more and they can close like a cabinet."

_No! She can't close up my precious skulls like that_!, he thought. _They're like my children. . .almost._

"He can't walk yet" he pointed out quickly. "And my trophies are not dangerous to his health!"

"Ah, you're mistaken!" she said, standing up with an exciting gleam in her hazel eyes. "Kahet's ready, he's one now and banging his poor little body just trying to get his first walk to succeed. And if he bangs into this case, what will happen? I'll tell you what, one of these will come down and hit him on the head. What will happen to our baby then, huh?"

"We'll take him to the infirmary and have my brother patch him up" Kantra said, simply. "Yautja skulls are very thick unlike ooman ones."

"Tell me about it" she mumbled to herself. He glared at her insult. Then to him, "The case is going to remain closed unless you're here, okay? I'm not letting my baby get hurt."

"He'll be fine, you're always watching him" he sighed and glanced at his poor trophy collection. They practically screamed against the confinement. "A hunter's trophies must always be on display. How will this make me look? What if our Elder walked in? What would I say, 'I'm sorry, I'm afraid my display is closed because I'm afraid of getting them ruined on my son's head'. I'd look like a vain hunter, Iliana!"

"I don't care, I'm sure the Elder would care more about the offspring of the clan" she said, raising her chin defiantly. "The case stays and our baby will be safer while banging his head around."

"These are my possessions, Iliana, you cannot do with them what you want without my permission" Kantra growled, annoyed. "Do you see me ruining your things?"

"You ruined my makeup!" she pointed out instantly.

_Damn it_, he thought.

"I thought it was compacted powder food!" he justified. "Be glad I didn't eat all of it."

"Yes, it was much more better to see you with pink blush around your mouth and lipstick in your teeth" she said, sarcastically. "You looked like a yautja whore!"

"All right, it was one time and there's no point in humiliating me again!" he said, pointing a finger at her. "Nothing worse happened."

"You ruined half of my human clothes" she smirked at putting him on the spot. He hissed in annoyance.

"It was an accident and I didn't hear you complaining when you were nude and pinned under me" he said, very proud at his comeback.

"Okay, we can argue forever with this but after today, the case is staying!" Iliana said, placing her hands on her hips in embarrassment. "Besides, I already locked up your weapons so the case matches with it."

_She what?!_, he thought while time practically stopped for him. _She's gone insane!_

"You locked up MY weapons when you know that I need them when I go out on assignments?!" Kantra yelled, outraged. "Why the hell would you do that?! Males pride themselves in their abilities to hunt! You know this, Iliana! Sometimes I just-"

"What, Kantra?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Turning his back to her, he growled out a bunch of yautja curses and then breathed in deeply. Turning back, he saw his angry mate and decided to try a tactic that usually worked on her. Grabbing her into his arms, she gasped in surprise from the reaction and at his teeth nipping at her neck. He bit into her skin and traced his tongue from her throat down to the valley between her breasts.

"This isn't going to work" she protested but he squeezed her tighter against him. "Our baby needs to be safe."

_I hate it when he does this_, she thought.

Pressing her body against the wall so she wouldn't escape, he nipped at her shoulder while parting her legs with his lower body. Biting her earlobe in a teasing manner, she growled against his face causing him to purr in amusement.

"I want you to unlock my weapons and I will transfer them here" he said, firmly against her ear. "Once that is done, I will lock this room from everyone unless I am in it and I will make sure Kahet is with me if he is ever in here. Understood?"

"What if you forget to lock the door?" she asked, sharply.

"You forget that I am also deathly protective of my loved ones" he hissed and bit her neck firmly. "Do this for me."

"Fine, but you will not stop me from fixing the other rooms for Kahet" she agreed and relaxed in his grip. She hated giving in to him, even if he did have better ideas at times.

"Deal" he agreed and bit her bottom lip. "Your domination is strong but you will learn to give into me as much as I give into you."

"No fair, I like making you cranky" she groaned and kissed him gently. "But I'll compromise."

"Good and never _ever_ mention the makeup incident again" he purred and placed his forehead against hers. She nodded but laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Fine, but I have to start breakfast and you have to meet Sau-Trul today" she reminded and tried to get out of his grip. "You're getting stronger than when I first met you."

"Need me to show you how much more?" he purred and squeezed her thigh. She shook her head at first but at seeing his eagerness, she kissed him.

"I hate it when you use this tactic on me" she complained. "It gives females on Earth a disadvantage."

Nipping at her neck, he replied, "In my society, females use it to produce offspring and enlarge their families."

"I'm doing it because I want to and because you love it" she said, mischievously. "If I get pregnant, well, you have another crier to suppress."

"You drive a hard bargain" he chuckled.

Iliana smiled and kissed his shoulders and neck while he rumbled his chest in content. Raising her sleeping gown, he was glad to find that it was the only she wore. She usually hated sleeping in the nude which was the custom in yautja culture but did it when he complained. He caressed one of her breast over her gown and bit her shoulder causing her legs to wrap around his waist. She uttered his name in a moan when his one of his fingers entered her. Laying her head against his shoulder, he moved slowly in which she wished he'd go faster but of course, he kept teasing her that way.

"This is about the makeup thing, isn't it?" she groaned into his neck. "For that, you can forget about me using my hands or mouth on you next time."

_Damn it_, he thought. _She knows she's the only female on board who can orally please a male since her teeth aren't sharp._

"If you stop teasing me, maybe I'll forgive you and next week, I'll surprise you" she breathed against his throat and nipped at his chin slowly.

"Deal" he sighed and kissed her deeply. Pressing his mouth firmly against hers, his tongue dominated hers and explored her entire mouth causing her to relax in his arms.

He removed his finger from her wet middle and removed his loincloth quickly with his hand. Adjusting her body against his, he lowered her onto his member and entered her in one thrust. Iliana cried out from the sensation but enjoyed the sense of pleasure and pain together causing her arousal to peak. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Kantra thrust quickly into her while pinning her against the wall so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. He nipped at her throat hungrily while his mandibles caressed her neck and shoulders. She traced her fingers through his hair and pulled on some of the dreads causing him to growl and increase his pace.

_I love it when he does that_, she thought coyly. _He hates it when I pull his hair._

Kantra growled and kneeled down while still mating with her. Placing her body onto the large brown pelt that adorned the trophy room floor, he parted her legs wider and lay carefully on top of her. Reducing his thrusts, he purred over her neck and traced his claws down her stomach. After her recent training lessons with Aru'Kar, she had lost almost all of her leftover pregnancy weight. He would never say anything though since ooman females were very sensitive about it and Iliana would make him sleep on the couch. Gripping one of her legs, he placed it over his shoulder and increased his pace again making her cry out in pleasure. He kept the same pace until she arched her back and reached her orgasm. Her legs tightened around him as her walls contracted against him inside. Kantra bit into her leg until he reached his own and growled loudly in the room while he released his seed into her.

Kissing him, Iliana caressed his chest while he pulled out of her. Her lips caressed his mandibles while he purred softly at her. He let go of her and lay down next to her so his weight wouldn't bother her smaller form. Tracing a hand through her sweaty hair, he gripped it and ran his tongue down her neck.

"I never get tired of hearing you roar after that" she smiled and kissed his forehead. "Even if it makes me partly deaf, this is so worth it."

"Care to go again?" he teased and squeezed her side.

"No, I'd like to walk today if you don't mind" she disagreed and kissed his cheek. "I have to go check on Kahet and change."

Groaning, Iliana got up and walked out of the trophy room. Placing his hands behind his head, Kantra smiled happily towards himself.

"I managed to save my trophies, weapons, and managed to get Iliana to agree _and_ mate with me today" he said, pleased. "It's going to be a good day."

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Kantra strolled into his dining room merrily and spotted Kahet gripping a chair for support while his little mind calculated where to step next. Walking over to him, he kneeled down and offered his hand. Kahet shook his head and took shaky steps until he collapsed on his fifth one. Falling onto his butt, he sniffled but Kantra scooped him up into his arms before he could cry.

"Good attempt son" he soothed him and patted his hair.

"Fada" Kahet purred to his father and hugged him.

Iliana walked into the kitchen in a pink dress and placed their morning meal on the table. Kantra placed Kahet onto it whom immediately wanted to eat his father's food. Kantra moved it away and grabbed a small bread roll from a bowl to give to him. Kahet looked at it curiously but then gave it back to his father.

"It's good, Kahet" Kantra insisted and bit into it. Spitting out seconds later, he gagged, "Ughh! Gross!"

_What the hell kind of food was that?!_, he thought.

Kahet laughed at his father's expression while Kantra reached for something to drink. Getting the sour taste out of his mouth, he grabbed the bitter roll and placed it back in the bowl and hid its eaten side.

"Ew! Kantra! Don't just put it back!" Iliana said, disgusted.

"What? Someone may like it!" Kantra reasoned.

"With a bite in it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You just wasted good food."

"That's not food" he said, crossing his arms. "Even Kahet didn't want it and he sometimes eats stuff off the floor."

"Kantra!" she exclaimed. "Shut up and eat now!"

She picked up the giggling toddler and placed him on the floor to see if he'd attempt to walk again. Kantra ate his meal but watched his son stand on his own and look to where he should move. Iliana moved in front of Kahet and called him to her. Smiling instantly, the toddler moved his feet unsteadily while trying to reach his mother. As usual, he fell down before he reached his target. Making an angry face, he stood up again and tried.

"I hate it when he falls, he looks so discouraged" she sighed, looking at Kantra.

"He's determined which is good" he assured her. "It'll help him hunt well in the future."

"Just from that?" she asked, skeptic. He nodded. She scoffed, "Yeah right. Go back to your food and don't talk with your mouth full."

"I am not a child!" he said, pointing a spoon at her.

"You still act like one" she laughed and squeezed his arm affectionately. Kahet looked at his parents and fell down again.

He began crying in anger and Iliana picked him up to dry his moist green eyes. Kissing him on the forehead, she rocked him in her arms until he calmed down. Walking over to Kantra, his father gave him a piece of meat which he happily snacked on.

"And he's happy again" Iliana smiled and glanced at Kantra. "Don't turn my son into a complete carnivore."

"I'm not! You know our diets mostly consist of protein" he grumbled and ate his meal.

She grunted disapprovingly at him while her son wiggled in her arms to get free. Letting him down onto the floor, he continued his little quest.

"He's so cute" his mother chuckled while watching him.

"And one day he'll be fighting with weapons to catch great prey" Kantra smiled and fantasized an older version of his son standing on top of a dead hard meat pile while raising his spear into the air proudly and holding a female with his other arm. "One day."

"Are you fantasizing Kahet with all that stuff again?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. He snapped out of his fantasy and growled at her. "Men."

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"Is everything ready for Elder Lar'Ain's inspection?" Sau-Trul ordered.

"Yes, sir" Kantra nodded and handed him a silver tablet. "All the Bad Blood accounts for our clan are up to date and the reports have been thoroughly inspected."

"Good" he nodded and gave him another tablet. "Have you finished the report on clan trading laws?"

"Yes, it will be in tomorrow and I will begin on the laws for authorized weaponry for the Blooded caste" Kantra said, nodding.

"Excellent" he said, finalizing their meeting. Going to his computer, he still saw Kantra standing there. "Is there something else?"

"Yes, well, it's not professional but it deals with you" Kantra said, trying to form a good sentence from his thoughts.

"What is it? I have better things to do" he said, not glancing at him and returning to his reports.

"Sali'ah called and told me to tell you to bring her a fruit salad with no syrup and to have the pieces cut into perfect squares" Kantra informed him. "And some milk, not hot or cold but chilled."

Sau-Trul growled to himself and nodded, "Thank you, Kantra."

Kantra nodded and was about to leave when his superior raised his hand for him to stay. Turning around, he wondered if he'd done a bad job for telling him about his sister's message. It was either to tell him or to get trapped in a simulator with a hard meat Queen and no weapons. He chose the lesser of two evils.

"Kantra, is your sister usually this challenging?" he asked him quietly.

"Yes, she is my oldest sister and she taught me to fear her as a pup" Kantra said, nodding. "Why?"

_He's actually talking to me about his life_, Kantra thought. _I don't know whether to feel pleased or frightened._

"This pregnancy of hers is . . .very difficult" the arbiter said, running his hand down his face. "She wants all sort of crazy things and she has horrible moods if she doesn't get them."

"Pregnancy does that" Kantra nodded and remembered Iliana's. "Has she started to eat your meals yet?"

"Yes, I have to prepare my own meals now" he said, surprised the younger male knew. "This is normal?"

"Definitely, be glad she hasn't thrown you into a wall yet" he consoled his boss. "Just be glad it'll be over in a few weeks."

"She already threw me three times" Sau-Trul admitted gloomily. "Why do you think I've worn my cape recently?"

"Don't worry, she won't kill you" Kantra chuckled softly. "If so, she'll be left alone to suffer parenthood alone and she won't give you the blessing of death until the suckling's an adult."

Sau-Trul nodded at the advice and Kantra let himself out of the office. Walking down the hallway, he turned right and went into his smaller one. Frankly, he was surprised he got an office, even though it was Malkor's old one, but he wouldn't complain. The work, however, was unbelievable. He had to make reports and memorize everything he'd researched along with going on missions with Sau-Trul to get more hands on training. He liked the traveling but hated the typing.

"How did Iliana ever get through her ooman schooling?" he said to himself. "No wonder the woman gets the upper hand over me verbally."

"I wonder how Iliana's doing at home" he sighed and turned on his computer console. "Might as well start my new assignment."

He typed in his passwords to access the information needed for his assignment and saw the search results.

"6,500?! How will sort through all of those?!" he groaned in annoyance. "This is _not_ a good day!"

Hearing his door swish open, he stood up quickly and expected to see a cranky Sau-Trul. However, this time it was the ship's Elder. Bowing halfway in respect, Kantra offered one of his seats.

"What brings you to my cozy office, Elder Lar'Ain?" he greeted.

"I was just talking to your father and decided to drop by" he said, sitting down in a chair in front of him. "How is your new position coming along?"

"It's better than my previous rank" Kantra chuckled. "I can't complain."

"As long as Sau-Trul is treating you respectfully" he said, nodding. Then smiled, "He's not giving you all of his workload, is he?"

"No, sir!" he said, quickly. "I have my duties and he has his."

"Good, you are doing well within the clan again" his Elder complimented. "Just be sure to protect your ooman mate, Kantra. Not many are accepting of her."

"I know but she's learning to handle herself if a problem arises again" Kantra assured. "Most females are passive and breeders but my Iliana is very dominant for some reason. I can't complain though, she understands me like no one else."

"Like every mate should" Lar'Ain agreed. "Unfortunately, Sau-Trul cannot control his pregnant one. Your father is still surprised they paired up together. He almost killed Sau-Trul with just one look when they told him."

"True, he made me nervous when I told him about Iliana" he chuckled. "Even worse when I told him about becoming an Arbitrator."

"But you've proved him wrong by succeeding" the older man said, calmly. "Your father is proud of you despite him not saying it."

"My mother's pride and her bone-crushing hugs are enough" Kantra laughed in which the Elder joined in.

Hearing his door open again, Kantra stood in order to salute the quiet Arbitrator.

"Elder Lar'Ain" Sau-Trul said, lowering his head in respect. "I was not expecting you until a little later."

"I decided to make a surprise entrance" he chirped. "Your hearing must be excellent if you heard us from your office."

"Lots of training" he reasoned simply.

"And here we have the next example of Nak'Aru" Lar'Ain joked.

"I am not like Leader Nak'Aru" Sau-Trul responded. "The man is much more reserved than I am."

"Sure he is" Lar'Ain laughed and looked at Kantra. "Kantra, be a happy Arbitrator. I like happy people."

"Yes, sir" he chuckled, amused. "I'll try to be."

"You already are, it's much more fun speaking to you" he said, cheerfully. Then cleared his throat, "But I must be serious in my tasks so I will leave you for today, Kantra."

With a wave of his hand, Sau-Trul followed the Elder out of Kantra's office. After seeing them leave, Kantra sat back down and got back to work.

"Well, at least that was interesting" he said, shrugging.

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"You're home" Iliana cheered and wrapped her arms around Kantra. "I missed you."

"You're happy, how was your day?" he asked, purring into her neck.

"Sali'ah came by" she said, happily. "We talked a lot as usual. She can't wait to have those twins out of her but she's taking it out on poor Sau-Trul."

"You did the same to me" Kantra scoffed. "You feel sorry for him but not me? I'm hurt, Iliana."

"Shut up and go change" she said, hitting his arm.

Laughing at each other, Kantra walked into his bedroom and simply took off his mesh shirt and sandals. After taking off his hidden weapons, he walked over to his study and put his tablets on the table. He'd work on those later on tonight but for now, he'd spent time with his family.

He walked towards the main room where Iliana was eating and Kahet trying to accomplish his goal. Sitting down on the couch, he reached out to grab Kahet who growled but then purred at seeing it was his father.

"Mama!" he called out to Iliana and pointed to Kantra. "Fada's 'ome!"

"Kahet loves his father, doesn't he?" she laughed and tickled his chin. He purred in return. "I love your father too."

"Enough love, I'm starving" Kantra said, yawning loudly. Iliana glared. "I love you too. . .now can I eat?"

"Fine" she sighed and gave him her plate. "You're home early though."

"Elder Lar'Ain made the arbiter release me early" he laughed. "I guess he really likes me."

"You're his great-grandson, of course he does" Iliana laughed with him. "I like him, he's nice compared to his advisors."

Kahet squirmed in his father's grip so he let him go. The toddler stood still and then began walking in a straight line without falling down. Iliana smiled excitedly and grabbed Kantra's hand who stopped eating to watch his son take his first walk. The little one walked steadily until he reached a chair a few feet away. Iliana clapped her hands happily which made him smile.

"Mama!" he called out.

He walked back in her direction making her excited. He had almost reached her in a few steps when Kantra showed his son his plate of food which caused him to alter his course. Kahet headed straight towards his father and reached him instead. Proud of him, Kantra gave his son a piece of meat which he happily grabbed and pulled himself onto the couch to eat.

"That's my boy!" Kantra said, proudly. Iliana, however, was fuming.

"He was headed for me, you know!" she said, annoyed. "You just had to lure him with food."

"You were his first word, I get his first walk" Kantra smirked. "The point is, he can walk now."

"Arrgh, I hate it when you're right" she said, placing her cheek on his shoulder.

"I love you too" he purred making her smile and kiss his cheek. "My Iliana."

"My Kantra" she said, caressing his neck with the side of her hand.

"Kahet!" their son giggled to himself. They laughed with their son who went back to nibbling on his food.

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**End of Chapter 3. Aww, Kahet's little walk. Such a cute little tyke and he'll keep being spoiled by Iliana, all right.**


	4. Another Mini Kantra?

CHAPTER 4:

**Another Mini Kantra?**

"Would you get out of the bathroom? I have to take a shower!" Kantra complained while banging on the door of their bathroom.

It was the morning and Kantra had lazily gotten up for another day in Sau-Trul's boring office. He had barely sat up when Iliana had groaned and ran to the bathroom to go throw up. Kantra had waited with his usual patience, which wasn't much since he was a yautja male, and had now gotten up to check on his mate.

"Are you all right? You're worrying me" he called out. "You've been like this recently. You think it's the food here?"

"No, but I'll be fine" she assured from inside while wiping her mouth. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"Nothing, my ass! You're going to Ani-De's med bay today" Kantra ordered. "Vomiting is not normal!"

"Fine, I will, so shut up!" she yelled back. "I'll be out in a minute."

She rested her back against the metal wall of their bathroom and breathed deeply. She'd been feeling nauseous the last few days and had wondered the causes for it. There was only one she could think of and she didn't know how Kantra would react if it was true.

_I can't be pregnant_, she thought. _I wanted to wait a bit more but with Kantra, I'm surprised I wasn't pregnant sooner._

"Oh well, if it's true, I can't complain" she sighed and tried to lighten her mood. "I'll have a new baby to get stuff for and Kahet will have someone to play with."

Getting up from the floor, she turned on the sink by passing her hand over the metallic sensor and filled a cup of water. Rinsing out her mouth, she washed her teeth next and looked into the mirror.

_Gah! I look scary in the morning_, she thought. _How the heck does Kantra still want me like this so early?_

"Because he's a sex maniac" she answered herself and allowed herself a small grin.

"Iliana! Hurry up!" Kantra broke in and knocked on the door again.

_That man has no patience_, she thought humorously.

"Keep your loincloth on, I'm almost done!" she yelled back. "You hog the bathroom anyway so too bad!"

Kantra growled from outside and sat down on his bed to wait. Kahet poked his head out from over the crib and stood up to look out at his father. He was now three years old and still created mischief for his parents. His brown hair looked bushy against his face while his green eyes looked around curiously.

"Morning, father" Kahet said, waving to his father.

"Hello son" Kantra said, looking up at him. "Sleep well?"

"Mm-hmm" he said, nodding. Then with a worried face, "Why's Mama yelling?"

"She felt sick again" his father sighed. Then waved a hand, "Don't worry, Kahet, go back to sleep."

"No, I'm hungry" he said, shaking his head. "Do you have to leave today?"

"Yes, Kahet, but I'll be back as usual" he said, walking over to pick his son up. Kahet happily jumped into his arms and purred. "Are you going to go play with the twins today?"

"Yep" he nodded excitedly at his father who sat down on the bed again. "We're going to go play in the gardens."

"You're happy about it, eh?" Kantra laughed. Iliana opened the bathroom door and went to lay on the bed immediately. "Feeling better?"

"Yes and I didn't hurt your precious bathroom" she muttered and closed her eyes. "It's squeaky clean for all of your hunting needs."

"I only joke, Ana" he purred and traced his hand down her cheek. She smiled softly. "I want you to go to the med bay, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll go after you leave, okay?" she told him quietly. "And whatever the diagnosis is, I don't want you to freak out."

_Please don't let him go on a rampage or something_, she thought. _As much as I'd love to see his body beating the crap out of warriors, now isn't the time._

"You sound like you know already" he chuckled and then stopped when she didn't join him. In a serious tone, he asked, "Iliana, what is it?"

"Don't worry about it" she smiled and caressed his cheek. "Everything will be fine. Just go to work and I'll tell you when you get home."

"Iliana-" he warned, worried.

_I hate not knowing what's wrong with her and her ooman body_, he thought. _I wish they gave us classes on species and their anatomies._

"It's nothing bad, I promise" she said, sitting up to kiss him. "Don't look worried, okay?"

"How can I not?" he asked, quickly. "I know nothing about your ooman anatomy and I can't do anything to aid you."

Smiling gently at him, she said, "That's the choice we made when we chose to be together. Sometimes, we may not know what's wrong with the other at all until a doctor explains it."

"I'm taking you to my brother now" he said, letting her go. She objected quickly and pinched his side. "Ow! Hitting is not making it better!"

"I'll be fine, just wait" she sighed and soothed his pained side. "Just relax for now."

"Mama" Kahet purred and hugged his mother. She grinned and squeezed her son tightly in her arms.

"I love you, my baby" she said, kissing his head. Looking at Kantra, she cuddled up to him while holding Kahet. "Stop looking so down. We're here together and that's all that matters right now. And don't you have a shower to take?"

"I forget things when you worry me" he said, giving them a quick hug. Then grinned, "See what you do to me, Ana?"

"Me? You're the one who lost his brain" she laughed while he got up and headed to the bathroom. Watching his muscled body walk away, she said, "You crazy, handsome man."

"And don't you forget it" he said, pointing at her.

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"How's it going over there?" Eliok grinned idiotically.

"Fine, Eliok" Iliana laughed while watching him on an onscreen panel. "We just finished having breakfast. How are you?"

"The same" he said, shrugging. "Doing business here and there."

"Do I really want to know?" she mumbled and furrowed her brows.

"It's best not to" he responded and smiled. "It could put you in unspeakable danger!"

"Eliok!" she exclaimed.

The bounty hunter had called Iliana after she'd finished eating. Kahet sat in his chair and watched the navy alien curiously. He'd seen him many times over his little lifespan onscreen but he rarely visited the Ade'k'ra.

"Eliok!" Kahet mimicked.

"There's our Mini Kantra" Eliok said, looking at him. "Yep, still looks like him."

"He has my hair" Iliana pointed out.

"He looks completely like Kantra, Iliana" he smirked. "You're gonna have to admit it eventually."

"Shut up" she muttered.

"Does he give you as much trouble as Kantra?" Eliok grinned innocently.

"They're at a tie" Iliana said, feigning a sigh. "One's a child and one acts like one."

"And you whine like a spoiled child" Kantra's voice said behind her.

Iliana turned around and shook her fist at him. He hissed at her playfully while she walked over and pecked him on the cheek. Eliok cringed and booed at them while Kahet laughed. Kantra glared at the screen and growled but Iliana nudged him on the side.

"What do you want, Eliok?" Kantra asked, crossing his arms. Iliana poked his side again so he'd be nicer. "It's not another suicidal vacation, is it?"

"Is that a nice way to greet your old pal?" Eliok asked, opening his arms in the form of a hug.

"Don't ever do that again" he cringed and stepped back a little.

"Ignore him, he's cranky in the morning" Iliana said, dismissively. "I'm glad to hear from you though. Have you been to Earth recently?"

"No but I probably will soon" Eliok shrugged, then licked his bottom lip. "I can't wait to taste that food. You have to at least miss it, Iliana."

She shrugged lightly while Kantra glanced at his mate. Usually at night, when they were alone in bed, he asked her about it but she shrugged and made a small joke about it. Iliana usually avoided the subject in order to forget the planet and the happy things she remembered. Besides, she had something better here now.

"At times but I get over it" she shrugged and changed the subject. "So when are you coming to visit?"

"What?!" Kantra interrupted quickly. "Every time you're here, you run into Sau-Trul and piss him off. A pissed off Arbitrator is not what I need here on board!"

_He cheers up Iliana but he causes chaos for me_, he thought glumly. _He always pokes at the Arbitrator for humor for some reason and miraculously survives every encounter._

"Stop moping! The excitement begins when I arrive" Eliok smiled dashingly.

"Yes and by the end, people will want to kill me for letting you on board!" Kantra objected.

"Come on, you'll get to live a little" he smirked. "I bet Iliana's bored by now."

"We've had enough adventures to last a lifetime" Kantra grunted. "Some of those included you."

"Are all yautja usually this grumpy?" he teased. "If so, Iliana, you must begin preaching from the good book called 'The Joke Book'."

"What's a joke book?" Kahet asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Oh! Not the little one! We must teach him soon, Iliana, before it's too late!" Eliok faked his plea and reached out his hand. Iliana laughed and waved him off.

"He's funny" Kahet laughed from his seat.

"No, he's not" his father said, turning around. In a parenting tone, he stated, "He's the example of what happens when you get hit on the head too much."

"Ouch, if we weren't friends, I'd be offended" Eliok said, faking sniffles and making his black eyes wider. Kahet laughed again making his father sigh.

"Yeah, we make crazy friends all the time" Iliana smiled widely in which Kantra hung his head. "Just look at my crazy husband."

"I'm not crazy!" Kantra protested humorously by turning his back to her like a child. "Why do people assume that all the time?"

"You were when I met you" Iliana laughed and ran her hand down his spine. "So dangerous it became a turn-on."

"There's children present!" Kantra warned quickly and placed his hand over her mouth. Then to Kahet, "Son, go play while the grownups talk."

"When will I be grown?" he pouted and got off his chair.

"Not for a long time" Iliana said, blissfully. "Now go on, sweetie."

Kahet grumbled quietly and walked out of the room. He hated feeling small in adult conversations and told himself that one day he'd grow up and be fully involved with them.

_It's not fair but they'll see!_, he promised himself.

Iliana watched her sulking toddler walk out making her heart clench. She always hated getting her son upset in any manner, even if it was for his own good.

"He'll be fine, darling" Kantra soothed, watching Iliana's line of sight. Then to Eliok, "See what you did, my son's upset now!"

"Me? You two are the ones flirting in front of my fragile eyes!" he shot back and crossed his arms to huff, "The child was saved while I have to suffer."

"Stop complaining" Kantra scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, you two can stay and argue till the end of time but I have things to do" Iliana said, bored by their squabble. "I'll talk to you another time, Eliok."

"Bye!" he waved dramatically until Iliana left. Looking at a grumpy Kantra, he grinned, "How did you land a cool mate like that? You brainwashed her, didn't you?"

"Why am I always the one stuck to you?" Kantra growled and yanked at his dreadlocks. Then sighing, "It wasn't easy, I'll say that much."

"Did she really keep kicking you in the crotch when you were on Earth?" Eliok asked curiously, making Kantra growl in his throat in annoyance.

"No, she stopped that once we became friends" he said, narrowing his eyes. "If she had kept it up, I doubt I'd have my son now."

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"So, am I?" Iliana asked, cautiously. Her mind had been in torment for the last hours with the same question.

"Are you what?" Ani-De asked, nonchalantly.

"Am I pregnant?!" she demanded, balling her hands into fists.

"Yes" he said, simply. Then briskly, "You know what my next question is, right?"

"Have I told Kantra?" she asked, pouting unhappily. He gave her a firm look.

"No, why haven't you been eating better?" he asked, crossing his arms. For a medic, he could be sympathetic and enraged in a second. "You're pregnant, you should've come sooner!"

_I should've?_, she thought. _I've felt fine so far._

"How far along am I?" she asked, surprised. "I barely felt any symptoms! Will the baby be all right?"

"Almost three months and it will be fine _if _you follow my orders" he explained. She nodded quickly. "You're family and I don't want anything to happen to you under my watch."

"I know, that's why Kahet only likes you out of all the doctors" she joked but he kept his face serious. "I'm sorry, I should've been here days ago but I thought it was a stomach virus or something."

"You still should've come in" Ani-De said, firmly. "I'd hit you over the head if you weren't pregnant."

"Hey, I'm the one who cheers for your hits on others, don't take it out on me" she said, pointing her finger at him. "And I do listen, I just tend to make my own diagnosis before coming to you."

"You're not a professional medic" he stated quickly. "Don't assume you know better."

"Fine, but only because I don't want you envious of my skills" she teased while grinning. Ani-De narrowed his eyes and snorted. "I'll take that as an okay."

"Enjoy the days when you can joke because from hereon, you're going to be grouchy with pregnancy symptoms" Ani-De smirked in his teasing manner.

"Thanks a lot" she muttered and sighed. "Now that I know I'm pregnant, I have to tell Kantra."

"You don't think he'll be happy?" Ani-De asked, furrowing his brows. "Males in our society make it their goal to produce at least 70 sucklings in their lifetime."

_What?! Hold on a minute_, she thought.

"70?! That's a freakin' military platoon!" Iliana gasped in surprise. "I'm not having more than 10, and that's if I live long like you guys."

"Our poor brother" he shook his head in fake pity. Iliana grinned at his display. Then in a soft tone, "Iliana, is something wrong between you two?"

"No, it's fine, I just. . ." she stuttered, hesitant. She didn't want to talk much about it but if she had to then, "Kantra and I keep busy all the time, especially with Kahet, and I don't know if we're ready for this baby."

"That's what you said about Kahet and he's perfectly fine" Ani-De said, sitting down in a chair nearby. "You're both wonderful parents."

"Yes but Kantra was there to help when he wasn't busy" she explained and then sighed, "He's training harder now and sometimes I feel as if we're distant. We still have that culture barrier but humans like to know things about their spouses and sometimes Kantra doesn't want to talk about it when I know it's something that's bothering him."

"Have you spoken to him about it?" he asked, looking at a now shy Iliana.

"Yes but he says we're fine and I believe it most of the time" she said, shrugging and looking at her sandaled feet. "But sometimes I think that if we don't talk about it, it could get worse over the years. I just wish he'd talk to me about himself instead of worrying over my well-being."

"Females here worry as well but don't let your mate keep himself too secretive about his daily tasks" Ani-De advised carefully. "Kantra may be trying to shield you from the tough change of rank that affects him over the years but keep yourself close to him without looking like you're trying to pry him open. All males in our society can be aloof when it comes to any emotion but we do love our mates, I will say that."

"Thanks, Ani-De" she said, gratefully. "I just hope he doesn't faint from this new baby."

"He'll adore it, trust me" he said, chuckling softly. "Kantra, Sali'ah, and Aru'Kar always watched over us when my younger siblings and I were small despite our squabbling. Kahet must also learn his new role as an older brother over the months also."

"I know, I wonder if he'll be okay with the new baby" she said, feeling nervous. "I don't want him to think he's not our baby anymore."

"He'll be fine, just keep mothering him" Ani-De laughed and pulled open a drawer from his desk. He grabbed a black bag out of it and handed it to Iliana. "When you tell him, give him the candy, it may lighten his mood."

"Thanks, brother" she smiled and hugged him. He hugged her back and patted her head. "Wish me luck."

"I do, we medic types have to stick together" he teased her.

"Oh, now I'm one of your types? What happened to the assumptions, eh?" she laughed and grabbed her things to head home.

"In my med bay, I rule the domain" he hissed playfully. "Outside, we're partners."

"Even in the medical fields, males are still aggressively territorial" she chuckled and waved him goodbye.

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"Mother, I missed you!" Kahet smiled and hugged his mother. He had just run in through the door after being dropped off by an irritated Sali'ah who ran after her two giggling boys.

"Did you behave for Aunt Sali'ah?" she asked, rubbing his back tenderly. He nodded. "Did you have fun with the twins?"

"Mm-hmm" he nodded happily. "Aunt Sali'ah told me to tell you to be there next time."

_Probably had trouble keeping the twins in check_, she thought humorously.

"Yep, that sounds like her" she laughed and squeezed her son again. "So, what did you do?"

"We played hunters, except for Sri'shan, he wanted to stay with aunty" he said, placing a finger on his chin to give him a thoughtful look. "Sau'Nak showed me this tablet about the homeworld, it was pretty but I just wanted to play."

"One day you'll study about it" she said, tickling his side.

"Mother!" he protested but laughed. "Stop!"

"All right, then" she faked a pout and picked him up. "Hungry?"

"Mm-hmm" he nodded and she headed towards the kitchen.

She heard the entrance open and a grumpy Kantra entered their home. He placed his things on the table next to their door and kicked off his sandals while throwing his mesh to the side.

"Rough day?" she asked, giving him a sympathetic look.

"As usual" he sighed and stretched. "The new training sessions are getting harder over the months."

_My poor love_, she thought. _He works so hard._

"Can't you ask Sau-Trul to tone it down?" she asked, walking over to him. She spotted two new bruises on his side. "Are you all right?"

"It won't kill me, don't worry" he said, dismissing it. Cupping her chin with his hand, he said, "But I am worried over you so tell me what my brother said."

_Great, he did the switch thing again_, she thought. _Oh well._

Kahet reached out for his father who easily grabbed him into his arms. He tickled his son's side making him groan in protest. Shaking his head at his son's complaint, Kantra draped his arm over Iliana.

"As long as you're both here, I might as well tell you" she said, hugging him.

"It's something bad, isn't it?" he said, assuming the worst. "Whatever it is, I will find a cure for it or make my brother do it."

"It's nothing bad! Don't overreact, though I love you for it" she smiled and soothed his chest. He purred in return and squeezed her cheek.

"Then what is it? I've been worried all day!" he asked in a serious tone. "There's only three things that worry me: my family, rank, and food."

"Food? Kantra, really now!" she laughed loudly making him snort. Kahet just stared at his parents blankly. "Darling, I'm pregnant, that's all."

"Oh, that's a relief" he said, hugging her closer. Then letting her go a second later, "Pregnant?! How are you pregnant?!"

"Is your brain frozen or do you want to traumatize our son by me telling you the whole process?" she said, sarcastically. He hissed playfully. "We're having another baby, Kantra, so get it through your thick skull."

_Another one?_, he thought. _I could barely handle Kahet when he was a suckling. Just when I thought I had it under control, I get another one._

"Maybe it'll be a girl, do you think they cry less?" he asked, curiously. She hit him on the side. "Ow! Thanks for not hitting me on the injured area."

"You're okay with it, right?" she asked, looking at him. She really needed his support on this. "We can get ready for this new baby and handle things here, right?"

"Of course we can, Ana" he asked, nuzzling her cheek. "We've been through worse. This baby will be fine, besides, we've been through it before with Kahet."

"Oh, my sweet Kahet" she smiled at her son. He instantly smiled back at her. "You'll be getting a new baby brother or sister to play with by next year. Will you like that?"

Kahet heard his mother's announcement and felt nervous immediately. He was going to have a baby brother or sister around him. What if they didn't like him or he didn't like them? He imagined a baby boy throwing toys at his head while laughing and Kahet hitting him in return. But then he remembered hitting people was bad, so what would his parents say? Would he be replaced if his real sibling turned out like that?

_No, they love me_, he thought defiantly. The worriedly, _But what if the new baby's better than me?_

"Will I get replaced?" he asked, timidly. "I'll be good!"

"What? No!" Kantra said, instantly.

"No, sweetie, I'd never do a thing like that!" she assured him by grabbing him into a hug. "Don't ever think that. Your father and I love you with our lives, Kahet."

"Then why do we need another baby? I'm the baby" he mumbled and drooped his mandibles in a sulk.

"Honey, it's not because we don't want you as the baby anymore" she explained carefully. She hated seeing him upset and he was used to getting his way most of the time. "But these things happen, most people here have an older or younger brother. Look at your father, he has six!"

"That's not bad, others have more than six" Kantra pointed out quickly.

"Yeah and we're not going to be one of them" she said, firmly. He scoffed. "I'm serious."

"Sure and you said we'd never have a second child but here we are" he grinned, smugly. She stuck out her tongue as payback.

"So I won't be replaced?" Kahet asked, whining softly.

"Never" Iliana said, kissing his cheek. "I'd never let anything take you away from me. Just because you won't be the baby of the family doesn't mean we'll love you any less."

He nodded quietly and cuddled up against his mother. He was relieved he wouldn't be discarded while his parents entertained a new baby and not him. He liked being the baby of the family but now it seemed he'd have to make room.

"Do I have to share my toys?" he asked, looking at his father.

"No, don't worry about anything until the baby arrives" his father comforted and tickled his side.

"Why is everyone tickling me today?" he whined and swatted at his father's hand.

"You're the baby, like you said" Kantra teased him affectionately.

"I don't want to be the baby then, you can tickle this new baby" he pouted and tried to growl at his father. "Father!"

"You'll regret that" Iliana laughed and squeezed him.

"I doubt it" he whined but purred to his mother. She squeezed him again. "Mother!"

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**End of Chapter 4**. Iliana's pregnant again, poor Kahet, he's starting to feel down. So, who thinks it'll be a girl or boy? Thanks for reading and review, it'll be appreciated. And thanks to my last reviewers!


	5. Kahet's Room Of Terror

CHAPTER 5:

**Kahet's Room of Terror **

Six months later, a four year old Kahet sat down on the floor and sulked. His mother was finishing the redecoration of her room to fit the new baby's crib with his aunt Sali'ah's and grandmother Bai'Kar's help. His crib had now become a small bed in a separate room along with other decorations. Over the months, his life had become centered over the fabulous 'new baby' and he didn't like it. He hated giving up his space in his parents room where he liked waking up ready to be cuddled by them. Now, he had no one but a frightening and lonely room that held no one to hold him.

_Now the baby will be cuddled instead_, he thought sadly.

He played with his toys while watching his mother show off the new baby clothes she'd received from his father. He growled and threw his toy away to the side, almost hitting Sri'shan.

"You almost hit me!" he yelled, his red eyes watering.

"I'm sorry" Kahet said, going over to his three-year old cousin to pat his head. "This new baby's changing everything."

"It's almost here too" Sau'Nak said, poking at an old tablet with information.

"It sucks!" Kahet exclaimed and kicked the couch nearby to release his frustration. "I have to stay in a room alone!"

"That's scary" Sri'shan said, grabbing his twin's bluish arm. "I like being with mother."

"I have to stay in a bed alone at night while they get the baby" he sulked and sat back down.

"And it's getting new stuff too" Sau'Nak pointed towards their mothers. "Is it a girl or boy?"

"A boy" Kahet answered softly. "I bet he'll replace me too."

"You could always come live with us" Sri'shan comforted. "We have space."

"Thanks but I have to stay" he sighed and stood up. "I'll be back."

Kahet walked towards his mother's room while the twins stared from behind curiously.

"Let's tell mother to have no more babies" Sri'shan told his brother. He nodded back.

Kahet walked into the large bedroom to see the three females sorting baby clothes and talking about their personal baby stories. He walked in and glared at his old crib which would be used for the new baby. It was his first and had now been replaced with items for a newborn. All he had was a cold bed and a large, empty room.

"Mother, I'm hungry" he said, yanking his mother's skirt. She looked down in surprise and smiled.

"You just ate a while ago, sweetie" she said, patting his cheek. "I'm a little busy, why don't you go play with the twins?"

"I'm tired of playing" he groaned in protest. "Sau'Nak is even bored of poking at his tablet!"

"He's just like his father" Sali'ah nodded to the females. "I usually hide them from him, he's so curious."

"Mother" Kahet whined and poked at her leg. "Can't the baby wait? I'm here now while he's in there."

"I know but I'm trying to finish the room before he comes, Kahet" she said, trying to reason with him. Then with a smile, "Why don't you show the twins your new room?"

"It's scary!" he complained angrily. "There's nothing but a bed and dresser there. I don't like it."

_Why don't grownups ever listen to me?_, he thought.

"You're a big boy now, you're old enough to have your own space" she explained and cupped his face. "The baby needs this space here and you've always told me how much you want to grow up."

"But I want to stay with you" he said, upset. "I'm scared in that room!"

He started crying making Iliana feel remorseful already. She would've loved to keep him in her room but they needed the space and Kantra didn't want to kick a crib and a bed in the dark during the middle of the night. He had fixed up Kahet's room a week ago and had done it horribly since his son was now terrified of it. She didn't want her little one to feel bad but she didn't know what else she could do.

_My poor baby_, she thought.

"Why don't I take you to your room and you can tell me what you're scared of" Sali'ah spoke up suddenly and took his hand. He sniffled and dried his eyes. "Then, we can see if we can change it to make it better, all right?"

He nodded reluctantly while his aunt picked him up and carried him away. Iliana watched her crying son leave and placed her hand over her large stomach. Bai'Kar squeezed her shoulder in sympathy and sighed.

"I remember Aru'Kar was the same way when Sali'ah was born" she told her in understanding. "He didn't want another sibling on his territory and even destroyed some of her clothes when she was born."

"Do you think Kahet will do that?" Iliana asked, worried.

_Are children here that jealous?_, she thought. _I've barely interacted with young yautja siblings since I've been here._

"I don't know but he feels left out with this new child" Bai'Kar said, softly. "He's growing up and he probably feels as if you're all leaving him behind and using his new brother as a replacement."

_Replacement?_, she thought. _We've told him no so many times._

"Kantra and I have talked to him and even spent more time with him but. . ." Iliana trailed off, feeling upset. "I hate seeing him like this."

"It's normal but let him join in and plan things for the baby" she suggested. "It may make him feel better."

"We tried" Iliana said, quickly. "We asked him to pick out newborn clothes and he picked an entire wardrobe for a female. When we asked him to fix the crib, he took his blankets and barricaded himself in his room."

"He's jealous, the poor dear" the older female sighed and shook her head.

"I know and I'm worried how worse it can get once his brother is here" she said, uneasily. "I don't want him resenting all of us, especially his brother."

"Do not put stress on the baby, make Kantra talk to him about it" she advised carefully. "All you should do now is wait for this baby to arrive."

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"This room is evil" Kahet whispered making Sri'shan run to his mother and clamp onto her leg.

Sali'ah had brought the three children into Kahet's new room to see what they could change. His small bed stood in the back center of the room while a small white hammock hung from two of hooks on the walls. His toys were confined into a metal box at the end of his bed while a dresser containing his clothes rested near the entrance. The silver walls gave the room a cold look along with its large size but the thing that scared Kahet the most was. . .

"Why is there a Kainde Amedha skull hanging from the ceiling?!" Sali'ah asked, in shock.

"Run, it'll eat us!" Sri'shan cried and tugged on his twin's arm. His twin, however, was in awe of it.

"How can you sleep in here?" Sau'Nak asked Kahet. The older pup shrugged and kept staring at his feared object.

"What is my brother thinking?!" Sali'ah demanded. "Has your mother seen this?"

"No, girls aren't allowed" Kahet said, crossing his arms.

"What about me then?" Sali'ah smiled at his stubborn pose.

"You're my aunt, you're not a girl" he said, purring happily. She sighed and patted his head affectionately.

"First thing we'll do is take down that trophy" she said, pointing to it. "Is your father trying to traumatize you with that?"

"No, he wants me to be a great hunter" he answered while looking at it nervously. "So I have to master my fear."

_I hate looking at that thing_, he thought.

"Will father do that to us too?" Sri'shan asked his mother fearfully.

"Not on my watch" she said, patting his cheek. He purred happily. "Is that the only thing scaring you in here, Kahet?"

"It's lonely in here" he whined timidly.

"Well, you're a growing boy and you can have as much fun as you want here without angering your parents" his aunt reasoned with him. "You can play here later without keeping them up and you can make your own rules for your room. There's many possibilities in here."

"Really?" he asked, brightening up.

_I can stay up and eat in here as much as I want?_, he thought mischievously.

"As long as your parents say it's all right" she enticed him. "Who wants to be stuck with their parents in a small room when you could be all alone in this big room? It's like a big playground waiting to be filled with _your_ things."

Kahet brightened up entirely at the idea of filling his room with his things, not the baby's. This would his territory, no one else's. True, the room still looked vacant and lonely but he had to get over the fear whether he liked it or not. Besides, he _was_ a growing boy now. That thought alone gave him more bravery and energy to tough it out alone.

"Can we have a room?" Sau'Nak asked his mother. She shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because you're still young and I'm not using your space anytime soon" she smiled and bent down to squeeze him making him moan.

"I don't have many things to put in here" Kahet said, looking over his room. Then sighed, "I'd rather have my mama with me."

"But you can't, Kahet" Sali'ah reminded him softly. His body hunched down in unhappiness. "What about this? The twins can put some toys they don't need here and when they come over, you can have a little area to play with them at."

"Like our own playing room?" Sri'shan asked happily. "Kahet?"

"Why not?" he nodded instantly to him. "We can make our own club!"

"And our own rules" Sau'Nak added in.

"See, you're cheering up already" Sali'ah chuckled and hoped Kahet would at least get used to the room.

_If not, Kantra better make space for him on their bed_, she thought watching the three children make plans.

"Kahet? You're in your room without any of us, that's a surprise" his father's voice came in through his doorway.

Kahet turned around and ran to his father to squeeze his leg affectionately. Kantra smiled and picked up the pup to look over the room he'd created. It was big and over time, it would change according to Kahet's taste. Looking up at the trophy hanging down, he smiled happily at it while his sister walked over to smack him. Massaging his head, he placed Kahet on the floor and glared at her.

"Ow! Sali'ah! What was that for?!" he growled at her.

_Is she pregnant again or something?_, he thought. _Females in our society are easily infuriated over anything!_

He had just arrived home for the day after another day of grueling reports. Since Iliana was due at any day, he headed straight home afterwards instead of visiting his siblings like he sometimes did. Today, he'd come home to see Iliana finishing the baby's area with his mother and decided to leave when they asked for his opinion on blankets. He was a male and had no interest whatsoever so he knew it was better to leave before he got a lecture on the subject from Iliana. His ooman partner was very adamant on coordinating things to her fashion while he didn't care like most yautja males. When it came to child rearing, Iliana had her culture and he had his. Usually, he gave in regrettably in order not to cause their child any stress. So after greeting the two females, he thought he'd seek sanctuary in Kahet's room but obviously, he had been wrong.

"Why is that gruesome thing hanging?" she demanded. "If Iliana saw it, she'd be mortified!"

"It's a trophy! It'll make Kahet used to the aspect of hunting" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "He loves it, right, Kahet?"

"It wants to eat me at night!" he cried, glancing away from it. "I know it does!"

"Kahet, it's already dead" he pointed out.

"You have a dead thing in your room?" Sri'shan cringed. The twins grabbed Kahet and looked at the trophy, almost expecting it to come alive again and eat them.

"You're going to do more damage with that to him" Sali'ah warned her brother. "He's 4. He's not ready for that yet, if at all, he should be reading up on small creatures. Not our most favorite prey!"

"He'll be ahead of the other students" Kantra said, dismissively. "How can he not like his new room? It's big and quiet."

"And lonely" she pointed out quickly. "He's used to sleeping with you two and now he has this huge room to share with that thing!"

"It's not a thing! It's my trophy" Kantra said, offended. "I know what I'm doing."

"And what does your mate think?" she hissed at him. "I doubt she wants her oldest son terrified of prey. What's next? You'll hang a human trophy from there?"

"Don't insult my parenting, Sali'ah" he growled threateningly. "If there is an issue, then Iliana and I will take care of it."

"What is all this noise?" Iliana called out and entered the room quickly. Bai'Kar entered in after her with a concerned expression. "What is with the yelling?"

"Sali'ah and I were-"

"What in all the heavens is that?!" Iliana yelled, pointing to the hard meat trophy. "Why is there a skeleton in my son's room?"

_Do I have to keep repeating myself?_, he thought.

"It's a trophy!" Kantra sighed in irritation. "I put it here to decorate the room. Our son will be a hunter one day and I wanted to start him on that path! Why is everyone going crazy with this?"

_Is he insane?_, Iliana thought while staring at the shiny skull overlooking the room. _Humans would be scared of that even if they were adults._

"Is that why he keeps coming to our room at night?" she asked him angrily. "You're giving him nightmares, Kantra!"

"He's not, he's just getting used to the room" Kantra said, grabbing Kahet into his arms again. Kahet shook his head and reached out for his mother.

"I can't sleep, it wants to eat me!" he wailed to his mother. She looked at her mate in her protective mothering way usually meant for enemies and knew he was in trouble.

"We'll go back to decorating" Sali'ah said quickly, grabbing her twins and exiting quick. Bai'Kar just sighed and followed her daughter.

"Kantra, I want that thing out" Iliana ordered quietly. "You promised your trophies would stay in your _trophy room_, not anywhere else. Once Kahet is old to know what that thing is, _then_ you may place it back. Understood?"

Kantra watched his fuming mate and realized it was futile to even try to argue. Over the years, he'd realized he would have to compromise some traditions from his culture so he could fit hers in. Obviously, today his battle was lost. Looking at his nervous son, he nodded to her.

"If it helps him, then fine" he said, dismally. "I don't want my son to be frightened of his room and take it out on me."

"Good, I want it gone by tonight" she said, turning her voice to a sweet tone. "Now Kahet, don't you feel better?"

_I'll get to live now!_, he thought happily.

"Mm-hmm" he nodded enthusiastically. Then patting Kantra's shoulder, "Sorry father."

"I suppose having a kainde amedha roommate is frightening to some" Kantra sighed and patted his head. "A ooman one would be boring but-"

"Ahem!" Iliana interrupted and waved to him. "Previous human prey standing here while pregnant with your son! You also forget your children are half-human."

"I get it, Ana!" he said, waving her away in return. She scoffed and crossed her arms. Then to Kahet, "I just want what's best for you."

"Really?" Kahet piped up. "Then can the baby wait a while?"

"That's not possible, son" he chuckled and ruffled his hair. He groaned. "Now, why don't we let your mother go back to her task?"

"Why does the baby need so much? I didn't" he pouted and crossed his arms.

"Honey, how can you know?" Iliana chuckled at his childish antic. "You weren't born."

"Your mother has to do this so why don't the two of us go eat something and talk about hunting?" Kantra asked, hoping to draw his attention to that. Kahet placed a hand under his chin thoughtfully and then nodded.

"Now you're having hunt talks?" Iliana asked, poking Kantra's arm. "Bad Kantra."

"It's either that or the trophy, my dear" he purred to her making her shake her head in dismay. "One day our Kahet will be grown."

"I know, I don't like it" she said, disliking that thought. "I wish he could just stay small and with us."

"You only say that because you're used to mothering" he said, caressing her cheek with his hand. She nodded gently and sighed. "In forty years, you'll want all of them out of here."

_Forty? What will I be, a baby factory?_, she thought. _And__I never appreciated the small number of human offspring compared to yautja ones._

"Forty? I'll be an old woman by then" Iliana said in surprise. "If you think I'll be having kids at that age-"

"You humor me, Ana" he chuckled and kissed her gently. Kahet gagged and wiggled in his father's arm for freedom. "You haven't aged a day since you arrived. Remember, our culture ages very slowly and the fact that you sank your teeth into me years ago and drank my blood also helped your longevity."

"Blood? Ewww" Kahet winced and his father finally put him down. He scampered away and outside of the room quickly while yelling, "Mom's a vampire!"

_Cute_, Iliana thought. _He really liked those stories. He didn't like Frankenstein though._

"You were hunting me, I had a right to do it" she said, easily. Then thoughtfully, "So I'm aging slowly like your kind?"

"In a sense" he shrugged and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I couldn't bear losing you to an ooman lifespan, Iliana. That is why I always want you to remain in our atmosphere so you can last at my side."

"I love you too" she said, caressing his lower mandibles and kissed him. "And thank you for fixing up Kahet's room."

"I still don't see what's wrong with it" he said, still clueless. "I loved having one when I was small!"

"And look at how you turned out" she teased and soothed his taupe colored chest.

"Exactly-Hey!" he complained but squeezed her gently. Placing a hand on her belly, he said, "Be more like me. Ask me to put a trophy in your room to mesmerize you."

"It should've been a girl" Iliana muttered but placed her hand over his.

"Next time then" he grinned suggestively. She glared in return. "You know we will. It's only a matter of years. We can't keep our hands off each other even if it means death. And we were near death when we first mated on Earth."

"Must you remind me?" she hushed, blushing instantly. She quickly swatted down the memories of those times out of her brain.

"Father, I'm hungry!" Kahet called from outside.

"So am I, but for something else" he purred seductively to Iliana.

"I'm about to give birth soon, I don't even want to think about that" she scolded but groaned in protest when his teeth bit into her neck. "Darn vampire, go feed Kahet and get your mind off of that."

"Only because you're pregnant and I obey you for now" he said, letting go only to pet her stomach again.

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A few days later, Iliana sat in bed writing in her daily journal, which she'd bought on Earth years ago and brought more so they'd last over time. So far, everything was finished and she could just relax until her kicking child would enter the world and create chaos into Kahet's. Kahet had settled down a bit and was now unafraid of his room but still wary of spending his nights alone. Kantra would then spend some time in there until he fell asleep and then returned to his own room to collapse into slumber land.

Iliana yawned and turned off the lights by pushing the sensor next to their bed and lay down. Kantra was currently face down with an arm hanging over the edge of the bed while his face was plastered into his pillow. Iliana smiled softly and turned to embrace his arm while she lay on her side to sleep. Snuggling into the blankets, she moved around the bed to get comfortable which in return woke Kantra up.

"Is it time to get up already?" he asked, groggily. "I'm still tired."

"No, I'm heading to sleep" she said, running her fingers through his hair. "Go back to sleep, Kantra."

"Are you all right?" he asked, turning onto his back to face her. She smiled and caressed his chest with her hand. "Is it the baby?"

"Everything's fine, I just can't sleep on my side with this baby bump" she sighed and moved around again. "Sorry."

"Turn around" he said, grabbing her shoulder.

She listened and turned her back to him while he shifted to his side. Facing her, he cuddled up to her from behind making her complain.

_I'm not about to be his pillow or play thing_, she thought.

"Hey, I'm serious, I'm not looking for a midnight mating with you right now" she groaned.

"Trust me and stop nagging" he grunted but squeezed her bottom making her growl. "All right, I'm serious now!"

_That's what he always says and we end up naked and tired an hour later_, she thought.

While she grumbled, he propped up her body against his and placed his arm underneath her head. She rested her head against it while laying comfortably against him with no bother from her baby bump. Smiling, she laced her fingers through his and squeezed his hand.

"I love you" she said, softly. "You always find a way to comfort me."

"It's the least I can do" he purred into the back of her head. "Sleep now, Iliana."

The couple slept a few more hours until Kantra felt himself be shaken by soft hands. He was dreaming about the day he'd be an Arbitrator and was on an adventure to take down a Bad Blood and had chucked the dead body at Sau-Trul for the hell of it. Opening his eyes, he groaned into the dark.

"No, I was embarrassing Sau-Trul, I've earned it" he whined and wiped his eyes to clear the sleep from his mind. "What is it now? Did Kahet have another nightmare?"

"No, my water broke" Iliana told him while moving to stand up. "I have to get to the med bay."

"Water? Baby?" Kantra asked, and then connected the words in his brain. "The baby!"

He quickly stood up despite he'd just awoken and headed out the dormitory in the nude. He ran into the main foyer in the dark after tripping and almost falling over Kahet's toys and grabbed Iliana's emergency things. He was almost out the main entrance when. . .

"Kantra! Get back in here!" Iliana yelled, making him stop. He turned around in surprise. "Where are you going?!"

"You! Pregnant! Med Bay!" he cried, disoriented.

"Kantra, you're leaving without me" she pointed out quickly and went to him. She grabbed his face and made him look at her, "Let me get ready and you go put some clothes on because you're naked and I don't need you running throughout the ship like that."

_I'm what?_, Kantra thought and looked down.

"Oh no! My brain must've moved faster than my body!" he said in shock. "I need a moment."

He collapsed onto the couch and closed his eyes. Iliana stared at her poor mate who looked as if he was about to go into labor instead and headed towards her bedroom to change. Afterwards, she went out to where Kantra was to find him knocked out into his sleep again. She shook him lightly and waited for him to wake. His green eyes opened and focused into the now lit room.

"I had this awful dream where I was naked and heading to the med bay" he said, yawning.

"It wasn't a dream and I'm still having the baby" she said gently and pushed him back down before he could get up. "I want you to relax and when you're ready, I have your clothes ready here and we can leave."

_Oh no, it's really time_, he thought. _And I almost embarrassed myself. This is part of why males avoid females when they birth._

"You always plan for disaster" he murmured and stroked her cheek. "I'll be up in a minute, just go call Ani-De. I'll go get Kahet and take him to my mother's."

"Good plan" she said, kissing his forehead. "Don't trip on the toys, okay?"

"I think the toys are the least of my worry" he groaned and watched Iliana leave. "I'm going to be a father again. Please gods, don't let Eliok bring in food like he did with Kahet's birth."

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**End of Chapter 5**. Iliana's ready to have her baby and we'll see the aftermath in the next chapter.


	6. All About Leitjin

CHAPTER 6:

**All About Leitjin  
**

"Ani-De, where the hell is my mate?!" Iliana screamed at him. The medic sighed and hoped her child would be delivered soon.

_Pregnant females are dangerous, even if bedridden_, he thought.

"He said he'd be right back, don't worry" he assured while hoping in his mind that he would be right. "Just relax until it's time, Iliana."

"I have contractions shooting through my body and a hybrid waiting to claw its way out" she said, grimly. "He better be here."

"Iliana, children do not 'claw' their way out" Ani-De said, pointing his finger at her. She rolled her eyes at him. "You know the procedure for birthing."

"It doesn't mean I have to love it" she grumbled and felt another contraction shoot through her body. "Yep, definitely not."

"I could give you some painkillers" Ani-De said, sympathetically.

"I told you no!" she said, quickly. Pointing at him, she snapped in aggravation, "I want to have some rage within me for when Kantra returns. He missed Kahet's birth, he will not be late for Leitjin's!"

"You named him already?" Ani-De asked, surprised. Then raised an eyebrow, "Kantra wants to see the child born?"

"It's a human tradition" she explained to him. "Most fathers see their children when they're being born and since he wasn't here last time, he promised he'd be here and he better!"

"Or he's sleeping on the couch?" he suggested knowingly.

"No, he'll be on diaper duty for a month!" she said, raising her fist in determination. "That should teach him a lesson."

"Iliana, you must remember that Kantra isn't ooman and he may not know what is expected of him in some situations" Ani-De said, sympathizing with his brother. "Males in our society rarely accompany the female during childbirth."

Iliana knew he was right and nodded but still. . .he'd promised. She knew there were some things in her culture that surprised him and some from his that simply puzzled her as well but they had learned to make an attempt at it. Otherwise, their relationship would've gone to dust within weeks. She sighed and relaxed against the medical bed and got ready for boring hours with painful contractions.

_Might as well find something to keep me entertained_, she thought.

"Ani-De, are you the only one looking after me today?" she asked him. He looked up from her chart and nodded.

"Everyone else is still asleep and besides, I'm the only one who knows about your ooman anatomy than most" he explained to her.

"Kantra hates it, he wants to know everything about humans" she said, smiling at her mate's interest and his complaints about it. "I wish I could teach him everything like he's doing to me."

"It'll take time but it can happen" he said, chuckling. "Tell my brother that unless he wants to be a doctor, it will not be necessary. I'll be here to look over you, Iliana."

_I love having a doctor in the family_, she thought.

"Thanks, I'll always appreciate that" she said, smiling gratefully. "I try to make it easy since I'm a complete alien to you but I thank you for it. You didn't have to agree to help me when I was pregnant with Kahet but you did. I know you don't like it when I keep complimenting you but you deserve it. I don't know where my kids would be if-"

"Enough, Iliana" he said, raising his hand to stop her. "You have no need to say what I already know. You're my sister and I will always be here to aid you, whether our people like it or not."

"I know" she smiled softly and looked down at her stomach to run her fingertips over it. "Despite my being human, I think all my babies will end up looking yautja."

"Who knows? I've never studied about ooman/yautja hybrids so no one really knows" he grinned at her and walked over to pat her hair in a brotherly way. "If at all, I'm surprised the scientists onboard haven't come with all kinds of questions about it."

"They did at first with Kahet, then Nak-De and Kantra scared them away" she chuckled making him join her.

Hearing a crash outside, Ani-De went quickly to the doorway defensively but calmed down at the sight. Kantra lay on the floor with medical carts around him were tipped over on their sides and their contents spilled onto the floor. Shaking his head in annoyance, he watched his brother get up and wipe off any medical bandages.

_Annoying contraptions_, Kantra thought while throwing off any offending materials.

"You're going to pay for those" Ani-De hissed. Kantra hissed back.

"Why the hell are there carts everywhere?!" he said angrily.

"Because it's the med bay" his brother said, matter-of-factly. "And you're the one plowing into them."

"I'd rather do that than face Iliana's wrath" Kantra said quickly and waved him off. In a lighter tone, he asked, "How is she?"

"She's fine, grouchy, but fine" he informed him. "You may go in, she's expecting you."

Kantra nodded and took in a deep breath while hoping that he wouldn't have anything thrown at him. Walking inside, he saw his mate smile but point a finger at him.

_I better say something before she starts_, he thought instantly.

"Kahet kept me a bit, he clung to me like a face hugger!" he justified and placed his hands up peacefully. Iliana sighed and patted the side of her bed so he could sit. "My mother was able to use her iron grip hugs to keep him in place while I left."

_I wonder if he's scared without us there_, she thought.

"Was he crying?" she asked, intertwining her small pinkish fingers with his larger green ones. He nodded slowly. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"My mother will know how to calm him" he assured her nervousness. "All I want you to focus on is birthing our son safely."

"You're nervous too?" she chuckled and rested her forehead against his shoulder. "That doesn't make me feel better."

"Hunters are never nervous" he objected quickly. She rolled her eyes at his pride. "I always worry for you, I know these pregnancies are not easy on ooman bodies."

"Ani-De's here, everything will be fine" she said, softly. "I'm just worried about Kahet. I don't want him to think we abandoned him overnight. What if it traumatizes him?"

"He's at my mother's, not a stranger's" he pointed out and smiled, "He's probably too sleepy to wonder. I bet he's cuddled up in a warm pelt after drinking some warm milk."

"And if he's not?" she asked, raising a brow.

"My mother will find something, she hasn't raised seven of us to know nothing about children" Kantra shrugged and nuzzled her face with his. "I will take care of everything."

"My babies couldn't have a better father than you" she smiled and kissed him. "I can't even scold you for being late, you crazy hunter."

"I'm that good, huh?" he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her frame. "Just relax, Ana."

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It was now near the mid-morning and Kahet had barely slept. His father had brought him to his grandmother's along with an overnight bag his mother had prepared for him. He'd then seen his father leave while he tried with all his might to cling to him but his grandmother unfortunately caught him off guard with a treat and her usual dosage of a hug. Bai'Kar had calmed him somewhat by rocking him and giving him some milk but she could not get him to sleep. Anytime she'd come close, he snapped himself awake. Nak'Aru had to admire his grandson's determination and instead of trying to get him to sleep, he'd wrapped him up warmly and regaled him with stories of his old hunts. His mate did not find it suitable for a half-sleepy child to hear it but he ignored it and continued.

Eventually, Kahet came to understand that he was not leaving soon and had fallen asleep for a quick nap. Sali'ah had then come in half an hour later with her twins which caused him to wake. Bai'Kar tried to shoo them out quietly but once the twins saw their cousin, the two had jumped onto his sleeping place happily. The twins cuddled up to Kahet and after a lot of purring and clicks, the three pups had fallen asleep together. Bai'Kar stared at the trio underneath the brown pelt and sighed in relief.

_Maybe now he'll sleep for a bit_, she thought.

"Next time I'm leaving him with you" she told her daughter. "I tried everything to put him to sleep and nothing worked. Only your father's stories."

"And they didn't give him nightmares?" Sali'ah asked, surprised.

"He's tough, he'll be a good hunter" Nak'Aru stated to his daughter.

"He really needed some companionship" she said, looking at her sons. "Once the twins heard he was here, they wanted to see him. They're inseparable sometimes."

"Especially since you let them establish their little 'Hunter's Society with No Girls Allowed" her father said, dryly.

"I choose to let them run free, it'll make them independent" she snorted and shrugged. "Like you said, good hunters."

"Your mate will probably make them into Arbitrators" he said, simply.

"As long as they kick ass, I don't care" she grinned cheekily at her father. He always tried to down talk her mate but she never went for it, which annoyed him more.

"All right, let them sleep" Bai'Kar interrupted and led the two outside the room. "Kahet needs it."

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Iliana screamed bloody murder as she gave her last push and felt her child exit her body. Taking a deep breath and uttering a painful cry, she relaxed against the bed and closed her eyes. She released Kantra's hand from hers making him sigh in glorious relief. Her steel grip throughout the entire birth was surprisingly strong for a human body and he stared at his injured hand gingerly.

_Sometimes I wonder if she's fully ooman_, he thought.

"I'll be back in a minute" Ani-De said while two of his assistants exited with the newborn boy.

Iliana opened her mouth to speak but the remaining nursing staff began the afterbirth procedures on her. Her lower body was numb but she still felt the sensation of the tissue removal and sutures. Kantra wiped her forehead while she groaned and breathed raggedly against his hand. Opening her heavy lids, she gave him a soft smile in which he purred softly at her.

"It's done, you'll be fine" he soothed and gripped her hand into his. "Just rest now."

"Childbirth does not get easier" she groaned from exhaustion. Looking into his eyes, she said, "Kantra, go check on the baby."

"Ani-De said-" he began but she cut him off.

"I think something's wrong, Ani-De never left when Kahet was born" she whispered in worry. Taking another deep breath, she said, "I barely heard Leitjin cry. Please go and see him."

Kantra nodded immediately to her request and stood up quickly to leave. Looking back, he saw his mate's face sadden and began to worry himself. He didn't want anything to happen to their newborn son and it would devastate Iliana as well if it did. Opening the door, he walked out to the colder outside and looked around the empty hallway.

"Ani-De!" Kantra roared, causing the metal walls to resonate. "Come here now!"

A few seconds later, Ani-De came out from one of the nurseries with an annoyed look on his face. Stomping up to his brother irritated, he hissed but Kantra growled back in a challenge.

"You're lucky that nursery is soundproof" Ani-De snapped quickly. "Don't _ever_ do that near my newborns!"

"What about my newborn?" Kantra hissed protectively. "Where is he?"

"He's fine as of now but I have him undergoing a treatment" his brother sighed and tried to explain carefully. Kantra stared at him angrily and did not like the word 'treatment' instantly. In a calm tone, Ani-De stated, "During the delivery, the suckling absorbed liquid into his lungs and we quickly cleared them before damage could be done. As a precaution, however, I want him to get treatment for his lung development for a few days and I will be observing his progress."

_Iliana was right to worry then_, Kantra thought. _Damn it._

"Will he be all right?" he asked, worried. He didn't want anything to happen to his little one, especially minutes after being born. "Don't lie to me, Ani-De."

"Yes but I am monitoring him just in case of anything" his brother said, gripping his shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to him, brother. Trust me."

"I do, I'm just worried about him" he sighed and ran his hand down his face. "Iliana sensed something but I'm glad it's not anything worse. I don't think my mate could handle losing a child after birthing it."

"Hybrids are a delicate birth" Ani-De nodded to him. "Go back to her and explain. You will be able to see him once his treatment is finished."

"Will she be able to hold him?" he asked, carefully. "Ooman mothers have a need to physically connect with their child in order to feel stable that their children will be safe."

"I'll make sure of it" he said and left to return to the nursery.

Kantra stood in the hallway and took a deep breath. He prayed silently to his gods to watch over his little one and let him heal properly. His mate was right when their suckling cried weakly, it had to be the liquid that was going into his lungs.

_I'm grateful that he didn't drown between the birth_, he thought. _All I can do is hope that my brother does everything right. I hate feeling helpless in situations where I can't protect my loved ones._

Sighing at his dark thoughts, he walked back to Iliana's room and entered quietly. The assistants had finished with their work and had left her to rest until she was ready to feed her child. Once he entered, however, her eyes opened instantly and her face expression demanded an answer.

"Why isn't my baby here?" she whispered dangerously. "Where is he?"

"Iliana-" Kantra began and raised a hand to calm her.

"What happened?! Is he okay? Is he. .Is he gone?" she asked fearfully and assumed the worst. Her eyes instantly watered causing him to run to her quickly. "Kantra-"

"No!" he cried out and soothed her shaking hands. She stared at him with a heartrending look and he embraced her firmly. "He's fine but there was a problem during the birth."

"What problem? Tell me!" she cried desperately.

_I want him in my arms_, she thought. _I want to see my son!_

"His lungs took in some water so they had to perform a procedure to fix it" he explained and soothed her back gently. In her current state, however, it made her start crying. "My brother is going to keep him for more treatments so no more problems arise. Once this treatment is done, we can see him."

She began to sob in his arms and he cursed in his mind. There was no way to avoid the situation and he had to bear it. He hated that his son was in pain and his mate's distress made him feel worse. He sighed and ran his fingers through her sweaty hair while she cried.

"He'll be fine, Iliana" he assured her softly. "I won't let anything happen to our little one so please don't cry. This pains me and I don't want you in anguish as well after giving birth. Please, calm down and relax before your health complicates too."

"I don't want my baby in pain when I'm not there" she sobbed quietly against his neck. "I want to be next to him so he knows he's not alone in there. He's just a baby, he deserves to be asleep in a warm blanket and in our arms where he's safe from harm."

"Life isn't perfect and we must cope with it" he told her gently. "We must remain optimistic. Our Leitjin will be fine and you will see him soon, all right?"

She nodded and managed to reduce her sobs into sniffles. Out of all the situations, she didn't want this for her newborn. As a mother, her children came first and if she could take their pain, she would. If any complications arose during birth, she wanted to suffer them, not have her little one take it in her stead. Taking in an unsteady breath, she prayed to any higher being that existed to protect her son.

_Please, keep him safe_, she thought. _Don't let him suffer._

"I can't move anywhere to see him but you can" she said, looking up at her mate. "Check in on him every half hour, Kantra. Don't let him out of your sight. I don't care if you have to be outside the room or threaten someone to take you there, but be near him. Don't let anything happen to our baby."

"I promise, our son will be fine" he nodded and rested his cheek against her forehead. "He will be in your arms by the end of the day, my dearest."

She nodded gingerly and rested against his body. He held her and purred to her softly until her eyes closed from exhaustion and she fell asleep. He lay her body down gently against the bed and watched her breathe steadily in her sleep. Nodding to himself, he stood up and walked quietly towards the door.

_I will not let my Iliana suffer nor let our son endure his pain alone_, he thought.

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"When is father coming back?" Kahet demanded in a sulky mood. He paid his snack no attention and looked up to his grandmother.

"Soon but I must go see your mother" Bai'Kar said and patted his head with a smile.

"I want to go!" he said, clinging to her skirt instantly. She chuckled and soothed his small hands until he let go.

"You must stay here, your father is coming soon" she said, softly. "Your mother needs a grownup for right now, but afterwards, you can see her and the suckling."

"She probably loves him more" he pouted and returned to his seat to eat his meal stubbornly.

"Of course not, how could she not love you? You're her little Kahet" she grinned and tickled his cheek.

"Not anymore" he muttered and chewed his food. "They left me alone."

"Because your brother needs to arrive, your mother can't have him in the house" Sali'ah spoke up and brought in her twins. Kahet frowned towards his food. "Your father will be here soon so Mother, you can go."

"We can handle the little pup, anyway" Aru'Kar said, coming in with his soon-to-be two year old son, Aru'Dre.

"All right, Kantra will be here soon so behave" Bai'Kar warned and pointed to her two children. Aru'Kar gave her a confused look while Sali'ah snorted.

"Mother, we're adults, we can behave" she assured without laughing. "We're the ones who have to straighten out this new generation."

Their mother nodded and left quickly from the dining area. Sali'ah sighed and prepared three dishes for the remaining children, then placed them on the table. Sri'shan happily hopped onto the chair to eat while Sau'Nak quietly sat down and sipped on a drink he held. Aru'Dre pointed to the food on the table and his father placed him into a chair.

"Has your mate visited Iliana? I'm sure seeing another ooman would help her" Sali'ah asked her older brother. She handed him a plate of food as well and he nodded in thanks.

"Yes, but it seems Iliana seeks solitude and her child more than anything right now" he sighed and looked at his son gobble his food down gleefully.

Aru'Kar had been to Earth a few years prior for a monthly hunt. Once there, he realized that the hunting ground was not worthy of anything anymore and had gotten ready to leave with his crew. Curiosity got the better of him since Kantra had liked this planet for some reason, and he decided to appease his increased interest. Eventually, he met his mate after rescuing her from a violent riot in her town and no matter how much he tried to avoid her, she managed to track him down out of curiosity. Then Aru'Kar, being more of a reserved warrior, engaged her in conversation unlike Iliana's and Kantra's first dangerous encounter. Once it came time to leave, Zia asked if she could leave her crime ridden town and join him. He agreed since she was a practicing anthropologist for the outside city near her town and thought it would lead her to a new journey for knowledge. Once she came onboard the Ade'k'ra, Iliana met the older female happily and introduced her to the yautja society. In the end, he asked her to be his mate and years later, they now have the current suckling that was throwing food at Sau'Nak.

"Keep your own food to yourself" he hissed and tried to wipe his face clean.

"No!" Aru'Dre said defiantly and pointed to his older cousin. The suckling had his father's skin tinting and yellow eyes entirely with no signs of human traits, like Kahet. He wore a long beige tunic with his loincloth underneath with black sandals.

Kahet poked at his food unhappily and remained oblivious to the fight starting around him. All he could keep his mind on was his father's return and what his new life would be with baby Leitjin hogging all the attention. He knew it was bad to think those thoughts but he couldn't stop them, he had the aggression of a yautja and the jealousy of a human which wasn't a good combination at all. He sighed and chewed another piece of his roasted meat.

"Still upset, Kahet?" his uncle asked and sat next to him while struggling with his toddler who didn't want to give up his eating utensil to his father. "Aru'Dre!"

"Yes, I want my father back" he said gloomily and felt a wet substance hit his left eye. Reaching up to wipe off the food that his cousin had thrown, he went back to eating his own.

"Aru'Dre, eat your food!" Aru'Kar said firmly and his son nodded grumpily. He then grabbed a cloth to wipe Kahet's food covered face.

"Hah, your father yelled at you" Sri'shan taunted in a giggle.

"Did not" his cousin shot back. Then to his father, Aru'Dre pouted, "I want mama!"

"She's busy, eat your food" Aru'Kar sighed and pointed to the food. His son grumbled and listened.

"How do you cope with that little one?" Sali'ah smirked at him and sat across them. "The terrible two's is coming, you know. Luckily, my twins were calm."

"Probably got it from Sau-Trul's mood" he teased causing her to growl.

The group heard footsteps enter the kitchen and the three sparring children perked up.

"Uncle Kantra!" they greeted.

"What a nice reception" he chuckled and walked over to where Kahet sat. Kneeling down on one leg, he looked at his toddler who was trying to ignore him but failing miserably. "And how's my son doing?"

"Why don't you go ask your new one" he said, sadly.

_He's still upset_, Kantra thought.

"Kahet, the med bay is no place for children right now" he explained carefully.

"Don't make him terrified now, Ani-De will chase you with a surgical tool" Aru'Kar teased in which his brother smacked him away. "Ow!"

"And you wonder why your little one acts the way he does" Sali'ah grinned making him growl. "That's for the Sau-Trul slur."

"Anyway!" Kantra said, raising his voice to get the attention back. He grabbed his son's reluctant hand into his own and squeezed it. "Kahet, your mother and I love you and nothing will change that. There is nothing for you to feel sad or jealous about. I would never leave you alone unless it was necessary."

Kahet listened to his father and understood his father but there was something in his little mind that still poked at him. Putting on an angry face, he said, "So if I'm in the hospital, would you leave Leitjin too?"

"Kahet, that's impossible, he's just a suckling" he pointed out firmly. "He needs proper care."

"It's not fair, that means you'll always leave me!" he cried and his eyes watered. Kantra sighed and waited for his outburst. "I'll be last from now on and every baby after me will get attention except me!"

"That's not true, I will always love each of my children the same way" he said in a serious 'no nonsense' parenting tone. "You are not and never will be in competition for my attention or affection, Kahet. Now, you will go with me and meet your new brother who I'm sure seeks your love as well. Understood?"

_It's still not fair_, Kahet thought.

Grudgingly, he nodded and left quietly to grab his things. Kantra sighed and sat down on the chair to relax for a minute. He'd been on edge the whole day from checking in on his suckling and comforting his mate, and now his pup was upset over the new child. He wished things were better but knew it was impossible unless he took it into his own hands.

"How's Iliana?" Sali'ah asked, softly.

"She's worried and upset" he said, sullenly. "She won't feel any better until she sees the child."

"When will that be?" his brother asked, curious. "I'm sure Ani-De won't keep him that long. She gave birth in the late morning and it's almost near dinnertime."

"She's going to see him right now, I just needed to bring Kahet" he said, resting his head back against the chair. "I really hope he behaves."

"Maybe he'll be taken in by the suckling's cuteness" Sali'ah gently joked.

"Can we see the baby?" Sri'shan asked, grabbing her wrist for attention. She shook her head negatively. He groaned making his red eyes look brighter, "Aww, but the baby!"

"Maybe in the following days" she promised him. He nodded quietly and went back to his meal.

"I bet I'll see 'im first" Aru'Dre grinned at the twins. They both glared back in unison.

"No! We will!" Sau'Nak defended quickly. Sri'shan nodded. "We're older."

"And cuter!" Sri'shan added happily.

"Papa! They called me ugly!" Aru'Dre complained to his father.

_Parenthood is not easy!_, his father thought. _Kantra's curse came back to bite me!_

"Well, their father's ugly" he said, dismissively. The toddler smiled cheekily at the disheveled twins.

"Are you implying I have bad taste?" Sali'ah demanded in a challenging voice.

_Great, now both the parent and children are fighting_, Kantra thought.

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Kantra walked into the nursery with an unhappy Kahet holding onto his hand. He spotted Iliana holding her covered newborn in her arms while smiling contentedly yet her eyes still held a sad look. Walking over to her quietly, he purred to her softly and she turned to look at him. Kissing his cheek, she let him view their newest addition who had now opened his hazel eyes. His uncovered arms showed his brownish skin tone that held darker mottles here and there that would develop as he aged while his chest held a softer beige tone. His hair was the same shade as Kantra's, unlike Kahet's brunette.

"He looks like me and your mother, doesn't he?" Iliana said softly and ran her cheek over Leitjin's. His face turned towards his mother and he reached out his unsteady hand.

Kantra placed his finger under it and felt his son's soft grip while purring softly to him. He knew purring helped calm a suckling and had used it on Kahet when he cried as a newborn years ago. Leitjin breathed in gently and his eyes became droopy again.

"How has he been?" he asked, quietly. His chest felt compressed whenever he thought his suckling was in pain but Ani-De had assured him that the young one would be fine.

_His breathing seems perfect so far so I have to believe he's right_, he thought.

"His breathing is normal, all of the liquid is gone from his lungs" she said a little relieved but still rattled. "I'm trying not to make him move much. I just want him to rest while he heals."

"What's wrong with him?" Kahet spoke up in a hushed tone.

He'd kept himself in the background while his parents gushed over the baby. He had felt alone and left out while they talked but he picked up some of their words. When his parents spoke privately, they usually used broken English and Yautja together. Luckily for him, his mother had taught him the English language so far and he'd start on Spanish once he mastered the first. Staring at his parents, he saw their worried glances and for once, his curiosity turned towards his brother.

"Is he sick?" he asked, clutching his things tighter against his chest.

"He had a problem while being born but he's gotten a lot better" Iliana smiled at him gently. Kahet walked over to his mother and she lowered Leitjin so he could see him. Kahet watched his brother sleep while his chest rose steadily against his blanket. "Your uncle's going to keep him under watch just to be sure."

"So he'll be okay?" he asked, worriedly.

_I don't want anything bad to happen to him_, he thought. _He's just a baby. I know I've been mean but I don't want this._

He whined softly in which his mother caressed his cheek and he leaned into her touch gratefully. He hadn't felt his mother's touch in a day and he was happy just to be near her. He may have felt like a big pup but he still loved being coddled by her. He rested his head on her lap and purred happily making her smile.

"I missed you, mama" he whimpered softly as his eyes watered and wet his mother's gown.

Iliana handed Leitjin to Kantra as gently as possible to not disturb him and wrapped her arms around her oldest son. Her eyes filled with fresh tears despite they were red from crying the whole morning, but her son's feelings over the recent weeks had made her feel guilty over the new changes. She couldn't change them but she would not prove his accusations right by leaving him to wallow in his own sadness.

_Don't let him resent us because of this_, she thought. _I want both of my babies happy with each other._

"I love you and I'm sorry you had to be alone today" she said, squeezing him firmly to assure him. "You have to understand that your brother needs us too now. You both will share our attention so don't think you're alone in this world, okay? I'll always be your mother and no one will take that from you."

Her little one nodded and she wiped his tear streaked face with her robe gently. He hiccupped and hugged her tightly before she could finish drying his face. Stroking his head soothingly, she held him while he kept crying softly. Kantra watched the two reconnect their feelings and looked down at his suckling. He was off in his own dreamland and that suited his father fine. After a few minutes, Kahet stopped his crying and backed away from his mother feeling lighter with the situation.

"When can we bring him home?" Kahet asked his mother.

"In a few days, then he'll be ready to move in with all of us" she smiled tenderly and smoothed his hair back into its ruffled ponytail.

"Good, he shouldn't be in a scary place like this" Kahet nodded firmly. His mother smiled and traced her palm over his cheek in agreement.

"You're absolutely right, son" Iliana smiled and looked at Kantra who nodded back at his son's statement.

_I think there's hope for my babies to get along_, she thought.

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End of **Chapter 6**. Thanks to all of my reviewers and thanks for reading. Hope this chapter wasn't too depressing for you but I like working with the shifting moods, especially with different changing roles over the years for the characters like in these recent chapters.


	7. With Rebellion Comes Freedom

CHAPTER 7:

**With Rebellion Comes Freedom**

Iliana picked up her whimpering newborn from his crib and wrapped a blanket around him. Leitjin twitched his mandibles in irritation and uttered a whine from his throat making his mother place him over her shoulder to soothe his back gently. His soft body pressed against hers and his mouth gently puffed out air against her neck. She smiled happily and walked over to her bed to sit down and keep warm. Kantra laid in bed with his arms tucked behind his head and turned his head to the right to see his happy mate.

Little Leitjin had gotten a clean bill of health a few days ago and the joyous parents were more than happy to bring him home. Fortunately, his incident would leave no damage to his lungs and he'd grow up as healthy as other yautja children. The newborn was fitting in happily in the household and was adored undeniably by his parents. Kahet's mood had lightened also but he still felt left out sometimes. However, now he had a big room to himself that he was starting to grow fond of and did not want anyone taking that away too.

"My little sweet 'ums" Iliana cooed to her baby who dug his face deeper into the crook of her neck. "I'm starting to think he likes to hide."

"He's a newborn" Kantra scoffed and chuckled at her statement. Due to Leitjin's birth, he'd gotten the week off from Sau-Trul and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

"Like your natural born hunter idea with Kahet?" she smirked defiantly at him. He rumbled his chest and didn't say a word. She sighed in her happy maternal way, "I'd forgotten how happy Kahet made me when he was a newborn. Now, I can start again with this little one."

"I told you that you'd enjoy mothering and you complained years ago" he laughed and squeezed her thigh affectionately. "And here we have two boys."

"Your dream family's beginning to grow" she smiled at him while Leitjin began to shuffle around. She shifted him onto her right arm and chuckled, "Is my baby hungry?"

He gurgled softly at his mother and watched her with his lazy hazel eyes. She giggled at his expression and untied the right dress strap to uncover her breast in order to feed him. Once he was comfortable, her baby began feeding hungrily making her laugh.

"He's hungry, that's good" she told an amused Kantra who was busy watching something else. "Hey, my face is up here! You pervert."

"You're my mate, I'm allowed to" he scoffed and sat up to stretch his arms. Getting out the stiff knots, he placed his forehead against her shoulder and trailed his index finger down her arm. "Besides, if another male did look at you, I'd kill them."

"Kantra!" she exclaimed while scolding him at the same time. "No male would look at me anyway, I'm human. They'd be grossed out and run to hide under their mother's skirts."

"Don't think like that" he purred and nuzzled her cheek. Tracing an upper mandible down her cheek, he spoke, "You were made for me just like I was for you. We may not fit into our own species norms separately but together, we complete ourselves like a puzzle."

Iliana felt proud as well as loved by his touching words, which usually weren't used all the time unless the situation called for it. Most yautja males didn't use or even know the word 'love' for their mates but Kantra did after their years together and she appreciated it greatly. Yes, her lover was a rare one and she supposed she was too in a way after going through so much with him over the years. His people still weren't overly accepting of her but she didn't care as long as she had his support in this world. She kissed his temple gently and traced her lips down the side of his face until she reached his chin.

"There is none but you in this world for me, Iliana" he whispered tenderly. "Always."

"And no one but you in my life, always" she sighed and kissed him gently in a quick kiss. "I love you, my handsome and loving mate, despite all your complaints, it just makes you more irresistible. And I love hearing this romantic side of you, I'm a lucky woman to have you."

Kantra was always pleased that his mate returned his affections whenever he expressed his. He didn't like it when her self-image turned negative and would try his best to cheer her up just like she praised his hunting skills. He kissed her again in a firmer manner and let go a few seconds later after making sure her sweet taste remained in his mouth. Purring onto her neck, he watched his other half feed the little one they had created despite the slight genetic differences between them.

_My little miracles_, he thought and traced the back of his index finger over his son's forehead delicately.

"I'm very relieved that both of you are here safely after the rough days you've had" he spoke and tucked a few brown strands of hair behind her ear. She smiled and nodded in return while cuddling up to his warmer body. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"Me neither, I wouldn't want to leave you alone in this world" she whispered and traced a hand over his cheek. "I want to last as long as I can by your side and die by old age with you. My biggest fear is that we'll lose each other one day whether by the drift of time or sudden death itself."

_My beautiful and devoted mate_, he thought in respect. _You'll never be alone._

"You'll never lose me, I'll always love you" he said, quietly. He nuzzled his face into her neck and whispered, "I will never make you second guess my loyalty to you and I'll never change into something you'll drift away from."

"Good and neither will I" she smiled and wiped her watery eyes. She was always emotional when it came to these heartfelt talks with him. "I'll always love you and my little ones will always be my proof to you."

Leitjin let go of her breast and began to coo softly. Iliana smiled and handed him to his father gently so she could retie her dress. Kantra held his drowsy son and purred to him playfully causing his little hand to reach out as a reflex and grasp one of his tusks. Leitjin felt it curiously but let go after a second in order to let out a tired whimper. Kantra placed him over his shoulder carefully and patted his back softly like Iliana had taught him years ago with Kahet. Leitjin stared over his father's back and gripped his father's mesh with his tiny claws making Iliana smile at the scene.

"It does take you back to those years" Kantra smiled in agreement to her. "I think I'll be better with Leitjin after learning from Kahet. The trouble with parenting is learning the experience for it and knowing what each of your sucklings need."

"Mm-hmm" she chuckled and grinned happily, "You're a wonderful father, Kantra, you always have been. I'm glad you're here with me this week."

"So am I, I'm surprised I got the entire week off" he said, rumbling his chest in content. Then smirked, "I guess old Sau-Trul realized having and raising kids wasn't easy."

"Or he realized how delicate they are and how much they need their parents during those moments" Iliana said in a kindhearted and soft spoken tone. "I think no matter what species you are, caring and raising your offspring is always a priority over your own matters."

"True but there may be some that eat their kids!" he said, pointing a finger at her. She sighed and realized they were back to their humorous situations again. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. "Don't sigh, you know it's a possibility."

_He's so outrageous_, she thought. _But he's mine._

"I know, love" she grinned in return and kissed him. "Good thing we're not one of those because our babies are cute to the bone."

"Isn't that the truth?" he said smugly and puffed his chest out. "Just like their father."

"Very true" she chuckled as he kissed her in return.

Leitjin let out a loud burp making both parents stare and laugh seconds later. Their little one just sighed and nestled into his father's shoulder to return to his slumber. Kantra stroked his hair gently and purred to him to make sure he fell asleep with no problems. Outside, the quick scampers of a woken up Kahet ran past their room and towards the kitchen wearing only his loincloth and a fur pelt over his shoulders for warmth.

"Morning!" he called and didn't stop his pace.

"He's. . .happy?" Kantra said, puzzled. For the past weeks, he'd done nothing but sulk. "Children are odd and marvelous beings."

"Could you believe we were once like that?" Iliana smiled and stood up in order to go start their morning meal. "Now, _we're_ the parents."

"And one day he'll be one and realize the terrors of rearing his own children" he grinned mischievously and chuckled a soft devious laugh. She just stared blankly at her insane-looking mate and exited their bedroom. "What?"

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Weeks later, Iliana finished bathing a crying Leitjin in his yellow plastic baby tub and quickly wrapped him into a warm towel nearby. His eyes were shut while his mandibles stayed wide open to exert his loud cries. She caressed his small body against hers to warm his up in order to get him comfortable. Ever since his first bath, the child had disliked it and expressed it in his crying. No matter what she did to make him comfortable whether by holding him in different angles or warming up the water continuously, nothing worked.

_I have to wait for him to get used to it_, she thought. _There's no other way._

"Kahet loved his baths but I guess you don't, eh?" she said soothingly and took him to her bedroom.

Leitjin opened his eyes and whimpered fearfully while grasping his towel tightly in his grasp. Iliana soothed his little brown hands gently and hummed to him to keep him calm. Entering her warmer bedroom, she placed him on the bed where she had his clean diaper and green sleeper ready for him. Even though Kahet had used the clothes she'd bought for him on Earth years ago, she'd kept them and it paid off in Leitjin's case. She dried her son's body gently while he stared at her with worried eyes. Humming a soft tune for him, he listened as she rubbed a baby moisturizer onto his skin. Most yautja didn't need any kind of moisturizer like humans on Earth due to their humid atmosphere along with the fact they hated any unnatural scent because of their sensitive noses. Since her babies were hybrids, she kept their skin moisturized just in case and it wasn't a problem with Kahet, who loved to have his skin silky smooth.

She tickled her baby's yellowish tummy causing his feet to curl in response and she kissed the balls of his feet softly. Seeing that his skin was dry and smooth, she placed a cloth diaper under his bottom and wrapped it carefully while he moved his feet reflexively. Securing it, she grabbed his one piece outfit and began dressing him starting feet first. Leitjin gurgled and grabbed her hand when she placed his tiny round arm through the sleeves and she kissed his knuckles happily. Reaching for the nearby pacifier, she placed it over his mouth and he sucked on it instantly. She zipped up his sleeper and kissed his temple happily.

"You did good today" she congratulated and grabbed his hand into hers. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Leitjin, I'll always protect you."

He whined as he curled his legs towards his chest causing her to smile affectionately. Hearing bare footsteps come into the room, she turned to see Kahet standing in the doorway with an upset look.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, reaching her hand out to him.

"You finished washing him" he said, pouting unhappily. "You promised I could help."

Her eyes widened slightly at her forgotten memory and sighed, "I'm sorry, I've had a lot on my mind Kahet. Next time-"

"It's always next time!" he accused and crossed his arms. "Ever since you brought him home I can't do anything with him since he's too small and when I can, you forget."

_It's not fair, I never do anything_, he thought.

"I certainly don't mean to, son" she said softly and tried to make him feel better. His feelings towards his brother had lessened and she didn't want to worsen them. "I don't want you upset so why don't you play with him?"

"I can't even play games with him" he huffed and flared out his mandibles. "I'm supposed to be an older brother but I get to do nothing."

"Kahet, don't be upset" she sighed and grabbed Leitjin to hold him in her arms. Kahet glared at her in response to her paying more attention to his brother.

"But I am and you don't care" he cried and backed away from her doorway. "I try to fit in with the baby but you still pay him more attention and leave me alone. It's not fair!"

Kahet ran away towards his room as tears burned in his eyes. Shutting his door with a lock on his keypad, he ran to his bed and flung himself onto it to cry. He was doing everything his parents had asked from him and he still didn't get to hold his brother or help his parents. It was always 'no, we can take care of it' or 'go play, don't worry' from them whenever he wanted to help. All he wanted was to play a part in Leitjin's life despite he didn't want to before and now it came back to bite him in the butt.

_Why?_, he thought as his chest hurt while he cried into his pillow. _It's like they don't want me anymore._

"I do what they tell me and I still get nothing" he cried grimly. "I . . .If I'm a bother then . . .I'll leave."

He sat up and wiped his eyes quickly as he got off his bed and headed towards his play area. On the floor, there laid an information tablet about the Ade'k'ra that Sau'Nak had brought last week. Kahet grabbed it and tucked it under his arm as he went to put on his sandals quickly though he had a difficult time tying the straps. He really should've paid more attention towards learning to tie them. Shaking his thoughts, he walked over to his keypad and unlocked his door. It opened and he walked out quietly and tiptoed through the lonesome hallway as he pressed himself against the cold wall. As he came to each door, he made sure to pass them all without activating the sensors to open them. He guessed his mother stayed in her room so he walked through the main hall and entered the quiet main room. Running to the main entrance, he jumped up towards the high keypad to punch in the numbers his father had repeatedly used under his watch throughout the years and smiled triumphantly when it opened.

Kahet walked out nervously but felt thrilled at having his first taste of freedom without his parents supervision. He walked in the left direction to walk down the level until he reached the elevator shafts in about ten minutes. He waited for it to open and when it did, he got in unnoticed along with the other occupants getting inside. Luckily, someone pressed the lower level where the gardens of the Ade'k'ra were held and smiled when the doors snapped open. He pushed through the passengers quickly and stepped onto the floor of the current level filled with residents either heading to the gardens, library, or public bath chambers. This level was basically the recreation level of the ship and everyone came here at least once a week to relax whether you were young, old, hunters, non-hunters, or just plain bored.

_I love coming here_, he thought happily.

He walked towards his intended place in a proud stride as if he were a grown hunter already. He already knew the route to take there from his home and he'd been there so many times, it had been memorized into his brain like his home's security code. The place wasn't too far and he hoped none of his family members were there or he'd be in serious trouble. He paused for a minute and felt guilty for leaving without a word which went against everything his father had taught him but he shoved it away.

_Too bad, maybe next time they'll care_, he thought roguishly.

Continuing on his trek, he arrived soon and entered the lush and humid environment. The place had been modified to depict an actual garden from his homeworld so his people wouldn't forget or miss their planet as they traveled the stars. The ceiling resembled a holographic reddish-yellow sky while trees of varying sizes covered the expanse land. There were bushes and flora of many kinds throughout the area along with artificial creeks to give it a realistic look. Kahet's feet crunched underneath the forest green grass as he ran clumsily but happily towards one of the glass walls in the near distance. He took about two rest periods before reaching it and was instantly thirsty and looked around for water of some kind. Spotting a stream nearby, he ran to it and fell to his knees to cup some of the cold water into his hands and gulp it joyfully down his parched throat.

_I'm so happy_, he thought.

He fell onto his back and rested on the cool grass to relax while looking at the sky curiously. Unlike yautja onboard who saw according to the heat spectrum, Kahet had gotten his mother's genetics for sight and could see in the human spectrum of light. He loved to look at all the colors no one else took notice of much and purred in content. Eventually, he got up to walk around and smell the flowers near the area.

_This is so much fun_, he thought gleefully. _Much better than being stuck in my room._

"Little one, are you lost?" he heard a female voice ask.

He turned around in surprise and stared at one of the gardeners that maintained the arboretum. The yellow robe and white gloves were an easy giveaway and he tried not to look nervous.

_Think quick_, he ordered his brain.

"No, I'm here to. . give this to my father" Kahet said, showing the tablet he carried. "He likes to relax here and I wanted to smell the flowers, they're nice."

"Thank you, young pup" she smiled and nodded to him. "You're sure you can find your way around, I could help you find him?"

"Um. .no, I. . .uh. .I can do it" he stuttered as his nerves began to crack. "It'll be quick."

"Are you sure you're not lost and lying about it?" she asked, raising a brow ridge in suspicion. "No pup is allowed without parental supervision, that's the rule."

"He's here, I'm not lying" he said quickly and scared at the same time. His parents would kill him if they found out or what if she took him away and he never saw them again.

_No and I finally started to like Leitjin_, he thought frantically.

"There you are!" a boy's voice popped out. Kahet turned to spot a boy a little older than him with reddish skin and brown mottles walk over from behind one of the trees. His loose black hair was held up in a ponytail while his gold eyes twinkled as he grinned.

"Me?" Kahet asked, pointing to himself unsurely.

"Do you know him?" the gardener asked, confused.

The boy wrapped an arm around Kahet's shoulder and nodded in affirmation, "Sure, he's my little brother. He's a nervous mess most of the time and takes forever to do his tasks. He's the lazy one in the family and a little slow."

_I'm what?_, Kahet thought in hysterics.

"Oh, well, I suppose your family is here then" she nodded and looked at the male. "Make sure you don't get lost."

The female left and the reddish pup watched until she was gone. He let go of Kahet who was confused and nervous all at the same time. Maybe coming here was a bad idea, now he was probably stuck with someone deranged!

"I'm not your brother, why'd you do that?" Kahet demanded while puzzled.

"You were obviously going to be in trouble and I gave you a hand" he said shrugging while giving him a sideways glance. "You _are_ here alone, aren't you?"

"Yes" he said sourly and furrowed his brows, "Who are you? You're a stranger and I don't talk to strangers!"

"My name's Bakuub, son of Leader Nassor" he introduced himself and thumped his fist on his yellowish chest. "Who are you then? I can't talk to strangers I helped either."

"Kahet, son of Arbitrary Assistant Kantra" he said proudly. Then tilted his head, "Your father works with my grandfather, Leader Nak'Aru."

"See, now we can be friends" Bakuub smiled and waved him over. "My father's off somewhere in the gardens so we can play unless you have somewhere else to be."

"Nope" Kahet lied and followed him through the gardens. "How old are you?"

"6 and you?" he asked, curiously.

"I'm 4" he said, a little embarrassed. "I'm not a pushover though!"

"Neither am I, one day I'll be a powerful Warrior" Bakuub said, punching his fist through the air. "So, any friends nearby?"

"I don't really have any" Kahet said, embarrassed and depressed at the truth. "My cousins are who I play with. Most pups don't play with me since. .um. ."

"Since what?" Bakuub asked, curiously. Lifting a brow ridge, he said, "It can't be that bad. No one has no friends for no reason."

_If I tell him, he'll run off_, he thought. _Or he could stay. I could give it a shot but. . .I'll do it!_

"I'm a half-breed so pups like to play with the pure blooded only" Kahet said, trying to put on a brave front while he felt sad on the inside. "My parents try to keep me safe from harm so I don't have friends."

"Oh" he said, surprised. Kahet sighed and knew he was about to leave like the rest. "So you're the one I hear the parents talk about?"

Kahet nodded and was about to walk away to save himself the embarrassment when he heard him say, "Adults are buttheads. I'll be your friend, I don't have many anyway. My brother's much older and my sister's a girl so how about it?"

"Really? You're not going to laugh at me later on?" Kahet asked, wary.

"Nope and I'll protect you" Bakuub grinned and patted his head. "Besides, if they hit me and you, my father and your father will beat up their fathers."

_My first real friend_, he thought happily. _Forget mother and father for now._

Kahet laughed at his joke and nodded, "All right! Let's play Hunters!"

"I love that game!" his new friend laughed enthusiastically. "We can use my sister, Eshin'Ga, as prey!"

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"He's awake, he's usually sleeping" Kantra laughed and purred to Leitjin. His son gurgled and watched his father. "I'm starving, where's the food?"

"I'm fixing it, don't worry" she smiled while arranging it.

"How's Kahet? I haven't seen him" he wondered and amused his son by moving his mandibles. "Usually, he's hugging my feet by now."

"He was really sad that he didn't get to bathe the baby" Iliana sighed sadly. "He cried in his room and I left him in order not to make it worse. He's really upset that he can't do anything with the baby. I waited until you came home since you're the one he listens to the most."

"Really? I thought it was you" he said in surprise and felt pleased. "He likes me better. Nice."

"We're not in competition" she scolded and pointed into the hall. "Go talk to him please."

He nodded and placed Leitjin into a small crib with wheels that Iliana used to place the baby in when she was busy. It was much easier than using a human stroller or leaving him in his sleeping crib. Kantra walked down the hall to his son's room in order to give him a father-son talk. The door opened and he walked in, expecting a yell from his son. He was used to it recently because of Leitjin.

"Kahet, I'm here to talk not lecture" he said, quickly.

He looked around the room and spotted no one within it. Looking around the room and inspecting the bed, he realized his son was nowhere inside it. He quickly looked under the bed and his toy chest, even behind the dresser but nothing. Warily, he walked out quickly and went back to Iliana.

"He's not in his room, are you sure he's there?" he told her and she turned around in surprise.

_He has to be there, he hasn't left it_, she thought.

"Yes, I haven't heard anything since he went there" she said, worried. "I stayed with Leitjin in our room until now. The other rooms are empty, Kantra."

"Kahet! Come out this instant!" he yelled after making sure Leitjin was not within hearing distance. "Kahet! Kahet!"

Silence greeted him and it did not ease his worry. Iliana entered the main room where he stood and looked at him fearfully.

"Where is he?! I thought he was here!" she said scared at not knowing where her son was. She was sure that he hadn't left his room within the last two hours. "How could I be so stupid to leave him? I just wanted to give him some time to cool off. Where could he be?"

_Damn it_, he thought. _Where did he go?_

Kantra squeezed her shoulders and shook his head, "If he's not here, he could be with the family. I'll go check."

"Please find him" she cried and pressed her cheek against his chest. "I should've taken better care of him-"

"Don't blame yourself, look after our suckling" he said firmly and cupped her chin. "I'll bring him back, Iliana."

He left quickly and she watched him leave in fear for not knowing where Kahet could be. A mother should know better, why did she leave him alone and unwatched? She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid to leave him unguarded. Wiping her eyes, she grabbed one of his toys and held it close to her heart.

"Please find him" she whispered to herself. "Don't let my little one get lost and wander where he shouldn't."

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End of **Chapter 7**. And here begins the journey of little rebellious Kahet. Thanks to my readers and reviewers, I'm glad you think it's cute and touching! I'm trying to go with the parents and children's viewpoint on how their lives work in their new society and changing roles.


	8. Where Do I Belong?

CHAPTER 8:

**Where Do I Belong?  
**

"That was fun!" Kahet laughed as he and Bakuub walked around after finishing their game. "Won't your father be mad about you hunting your sister?"

"It's fine, I'll apologize and get her a treat later" he grinned and waved his hand. "So, when are you heading home?"

"When I feel like it, my parents won't mind" he shrugged carelessly.

"I wish my sire was like that" he said in awe. "He's very strict and I must listen like a good pup so I can grow up and follow in his footsteps."

"Mines is. . .my father's kind actually" Kahet said, trying to form his thoughts into a sentence. "He's strict but he lets me have my fun."

"He sounds cool" his friend smiled and patted his shoulder. "You're lucky. Most fathers expect the best from their offspring."

_Not my father, he wants to give me the best_, Kahet thought.

"Maybe I should go home" he said, feeling homesick.

"Do you know the way back?" Bakuub asked quickly. "I could get-"

"Kahet!" he heard a cold voice snap.

He turned around to see his grandfather glare down at him furiously. He gulped and tried to hide behind his friend but he grabbed his little arm to stop him. His grandfather was usually calm towards him but now, his hawk-like gaze scared him. Most warriors would be on their knees for forgiveness from that look but Kahet just stayed frozen in place from fear.

"You found him, Nak'Aru?" Bakuub's father, Nassor, stated behind him. He was almost as scary as his grandfather in Kahet's mind.

"Yes, my mate called to tell me that my son's pup was missing" he said, coldly. Kahet looked down in shame. "Fortunately, I found him in one of his favorite places. I will take my leave now, Nassor."

Nak'Aru took him away by the arm and Kahet glanced back towards Bakuub. He waved in farewell and his friend happily returned it before being scolded by his own father. Cringing, Kahet hoped he still would be his friend. His grandfather took him straight to the lifts and no one interrupted or even walked five feet within the irritated male's distance.

"Grandfather, I didn't mean to leave" Kahet whimpered softly inside the lift. "I-"

"Save it for your father" he said in a quiet but strict tone. "He will carry out your punishment."

"But-" he started but Nak'Aru's firm glance silenced him. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Children are meant to stay in the home" he stated without looking at him causing his grandson to feel more guilty. "Not go gallivanting as if they were adults."

"I'm sorry" he said upset and suddenly cold despite the warm temperature. He really hadn't meant to upset the whole family with his little outing.

"Kahet, you must always obey your sire" Nak'Aru said in a lighter tone and looked down at him, "Your father looks out for you just like I did for him at your age. This ship is large and you should not be traveling below levels, it's dangerous for you."

"Because I'm a hybrid?" he asked sadly. "I know it's true! They don't like me!"

Nak'Aru watched his grandson struggle with his emotions and rubbed his back gently. In a fatherly tone, he said, "And you must learn to protect yourself by listening to your parents. Keep away from those areas until you're older. Ignore those people for now and listen to what your parents say. One day you'll understand and I know it's hard, especially for a child such as your age."

"Why don't they like me?" he cried as clear tears trailed down his green cheeks. "I look like them! What's so different about me?"

"They're ignorant" his grandfather comforted and used his cloak to wipe his eyes. Despite his cold demeanor, his oldest grandchild held a spot in his heart and he disliked seeing him upset due to his genetic background. Also, Kahet's ability to produce tears unlike his kind made him wonder if he was doing good or worse. Patting his forehead, he said, "Don't cry, Kahet. One day you'll show them that you're better than they. You're only four years old, focus on your childhood games and forget those thoughts for now."

"They'll always be like this" he sniffled softly and heard the lift doors open. "I know it."

Nak'Aru sighed and lifted the upset four year old into his arms while he calmed down. The pup had a wide range of emotions unlike most yautja and he hoped he'd control them over the years before his first Chiva came. Males in their society were not meant to be emotional in any way for it would probably lead to an eventual death while on a hunt. Still, it upset him how residents onboard treating a young child like that nonetheless. He walked in silence until he arrived at his son's door and typed in the override code he and the other Leaders on board were given in case of emergencies. The door opened and he walked in to spot a furious Kantra and worried Iliana without Leitjin, who'd been put to bed. Nak'Aru placed Kahet down and he stared down while his father gave him an angry glance.

"Thank you for finding him, father" Kantra told him gratefully. His father nodded in return.

"Good thing he went to a favorite place, otherwise I don't know where he'd be" he said, simply. "He's perfectly fine, he was playing with one of my colleague's pup when I found him."

"Why did you leave Kahet? Your mother was worried sick!" Kantra scolded his son firmly. "You know better than to leave unescorted!"

"Don't be too hard on him, he needs companionship" Nak'Aru advised his son while watching Kahet wring his hands together in nervousness. "The boy needs to spend some time outside where he can relax."

"He's perfectly fine here, he's just being unruly" he told his father quickly.

"True but why?" Nak'Aru questioned him. "He has no one to play with and hasn't seen his own cousins in weeks. He cannot stay here and feel isolated."

"Is that how you feel?" Iliana spoke up to a shy Kahet. He nodded.

"Seeing he's fine, I'll leave you to carry out Kahet's punishment" the elder male stated and left quietly. Kahet stared at his departing grandfather and hoped his parents wouldn't start yelling.

"How did you leave, Kahet?" his father demanded.

"I used the main key pad" he answered as his hands began to sweat from his anxiety. "I knew the numbers."

_Damn, I didn't think about that_, Kantra cursed mentally. _I'll have to reset the pass code._

"Why would you leave without telling your mother?" he snapped angrily as Kahet looked away from him. "You disobeyed everything we've been teaching you!"

"You never let me do anything!" his son raised his voice in fear and resentment. "I'm always alone now and you only notice me when you want to!"

"That's not true and never raise your voice at me" Kantra growled in a stern manner while his brows furrowed at his disobedience. "You are to never leave here unless you tell your mother and I, those are the rules."

"You never listen, you always forget" Kahet pointed out instantly. "It's all about you and the baby. You don't care about me!"

"If that were true, would we be here worried like this?" his father demanded strictly. Kahet looked down but stood by his feelings. "You're always a part of this family."

"I don't feel like I am" he hissed and pointed at his father. "You don't want me anymore and I don't want to be here!"

"This is your home whether you like it or not!" Kantra growled at the defiant youngling.

"I hate you!" Kahet shouted angrily. "I hate you!"

Kantra stared at his son's outburst in surprise. Was his four year old slipping away from his hand this quickly? He felt a pang of pain in chest but brushed it away quickly. Grabbing his rebellious pup by the arm, he turned him around and spanked his bottom hard as a punishment. Kahet cried out in pain and surprise that his father would actually hit him. His green eyes filled with fresh tears again as he let out a wail in which Kantra turned him around again.

"Don't ever speak that way to me again, you are not the parent" Kantra said, firmly. "You are punished to your room for the week without toys for what you've done. Do no disobey us again, Kahet."

He released his son whom immediately ran away to his room in tears and ignored his mother. Iliana let out an unsteady sigh after hearing what Kahet had told his father. She was sick in worry over him and he had become so defiant in such a short time. She didn't want him to feel that way towards them or for him to think they didn't want him. She stared at Kantra who stood stiffly from the situation.

"Did you have to spank him?" she asked softly as she stood up. "I don't like that form of punishment."

"You're in my society, Iliana" he said firmly as he crossed his arms with his back turned to her. "Pups will be hotheaded and unruly as they age and fathers must prove themselves as the alpha male within the family. I will not have my son acting this way towards us as he grows."

"Don't you think it'll make it worst?" she asked as she went to stand in front of him. "You'll instill fear into him, he could end up really hating us. Human children-"

"Our child is not ooman, he is from this culture!" he snapped at her. "He follows the way of our people and I will carry out the parenting and punishments of my kind."

_He did not just snap at me_, she thought irritated.

"And I'm human and we agreed to set up our punishments together" she said firmly as she glared at him. "Our children are half-human so you can't expect them to act like a yautja completely! And don't ever snap at me again or I'm kicking you in the balls."

_Why can't she just follow our codes?_, he thought.

"Mates are not supposed to interfere in punishment matters" he justified and hissed lightly.

"I'm not your average mate, Kantra" she said coldly causing him to sigh.

"I don't want to fight, Iliana" he said, raising a hand quickly. She narrowed her eyes and stayed silent. "Our son disobeyed us and I gave him a light punishment. Other fathers do worse than spank their children."

_And he better not try to fit into that category_, she thought.

"If you ever do that, I will leave you" she said in a quiet tone. He stared at her in surprise. "I want my children to have a firm but loving father. Unless they're trying to kill us, I don't want you bruising my sons in any way."

Iliana didn't want to say what she did but she needed to make it clear. Humans were abusive to their children in some cases and knowing the fierceness in most yautja males, she knew it would be worse for children here. She also knew her mate's loyalty to her as well as to his people and didn't want to make him choose between them.

"I would never cause my children pain but Kahet needs to know that he cannot get away with the trouble he causes" Kantra explained carefully. "What kind of example would I set if I let him think his actions have no consequences? I am not ooman and I will not act like one of your kind when it comes to parenting."

"I hate to see him cry like that" she said softly but nodded in agreement. "You're right on that part but. . .do you think he'll hate us for it?"

"It's part of parenting, Iliana" he sighed and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his bare chest. "We must teach him between right and wrong. It hurts now but he will thank us when he's older. I don't want my son turning into a ruthless Bad Blood one day."

"I know, my love" she said, closing her eyes to hear his heartbeat. "Maybe he'll find a witty human to fawn over?"

Kantra smiled at her joke but said, "I was an exception. Many Bad Bloods out there are lethal and will not care for anyone's life. They will slaughter anyone in their way without a care."

_So much for a lighter situation_, she thought.

"Talk to him, please" she pleaded softly. "Make him understand that we love him. I hate the idea that he told you he hated you, I know he doesn't."

_I can't believe it either_, he thought. _Most fathers would disown their pups in an instant for a comment like that._

"He's our pup, how can it not hurt?" he said softly and closed his eyes to forget it. Iliana reached up to caress his face with her hands to comfort him. "Is our little one changing this quickly?"

"He loves us like we love him, we must ensure him of that" she said firmly. "Go to him while I fix him something to eat. He has to be starving after being gone so long."

_Leave it to her to put everyone first except herself_, he thought tenderly.

"I love you" he smiled and leaned down to kiss her gently. She returned it as she traced her soft fingertips through his hair. Letting her lips go, he said, "I hate it when we fight. I'm used to us agreeing on most things together. I know this cultural border between us will come up throughout our lives but you are in my culture now. You cannot fight our society's way because it clashes with your own. Being your mate, I will overlook things because of our differences but there are some things that I must enforce in our children."

_He's right, I chose to live here and I must live like them, even if I may not like some things_, she thought and sighed mentally. _This is their world, not Earth._

"You're right and I understand your point" she said and pecked him on the cheek. "Go."

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Kahet stared out of his window at the stars passing by as the Ade'k'ra moved through space. His eyes were puffy while he had a fur pelt over his shoulders as he swung on his hammock gently. He didn't want to go outside after what his father had done to him and didn't want to see him either.

_I was right, they don't care_, he thought grimly. _They just want me out of the way._

"I should leave and make them happy" he whispered sullenly as his eyelids drooped in sorrow. "Then they don't need to worry."

_Leitjin will make them happy for me_, he thought as he held the pelt tighter. _I'll run away where they can never find me._

"Then he won't hit me again" he cried and watched the stars again. "I'll find somewhere I can belong. Where people will like me for me."

_I'll be replaced like I thought_, his mind determined. _They'll forget me. No one likes me anyway._

"All the children call me names" he whimpered sadly. Remembering the names that began when he wanted to play with a group of children when he was two years, he cried, "I hate them."

_I hope pups don't pick on Leitjin too_, he thought. _It's not fair._

_(Flashback)  
__2 years ago. . ._

_Kahet played in the gardens with his one year old twin cousins. They were all still small so they played with a feather light ball together on the grass. Sri'shan tossed it to Kahet gently who threw it towards Sau'Nak, who fell down after catching it._

"_Good try" Kahet smiled at him and his cousin smiled back._

_Another ball crossed into their path and the three children stepped aside. A group of four pups who looked only a year above Kahet came looking for the ball. Kahet picked it up and gave it to one of them._

"_Here you go!" Kahet said, politely. Then smiled, "Would you like to play with us?"_

"_We haven't seen you around here before" one of them said suspiciously._

"_I'm at home a lot" he said sheepishly. "I'm Kahet, son of Kantra and Iliana."_

"_Kantra? Wasn't he a Bad Blood?" another hissed to his friends. "My mother says he killed a hunter in his group."_

_What's a Bad Blood?, Kahet thought confused._

"_I heard his mother's ooman!" another added making all of them stare at Kahet, who winced nervously._

"_What's wrong with that?" Kahet asked, defensively._

"_We don't play with half-breeds" the tallest of the four stated disdainfully. "Filthy blood like yours isn't worthy of the clan."_

"_Why don't you go find a Kainde Amedha to play with?" another taunted._

"_I can play anywhere I want!" Kahet shot back angrily. "You don't tell me what to do!"_

"_A pup sired from a Bad Blood and prey isn't worth anyone's time" another snorted as they turned to leave. "Disgusting hybrid!"_

_Kahet watched them leave in silent shock at the words they'd called him. Why were they so cruel to him? He didn't do or say anything bad to them! He whined softly as Sri'shan gave him the ball and smiled._

"_Kahet" he purred and patted his arm._

Hearing footsteps head towards his door, Kahet jumped up quickly and scampered over to his bed to hide underneath it. He crawled all the way to the back of it where he could hide in the shadows and dried his eyes with the back of his hands quickly. His door opened and he stared as a pair of feet, obviously his father's, entered the middle of the room.

"Kahet, come out" his voice ordered gently. "I want to talk to you."

_He'll hit me again_, Kahet thought in fear. _I'll stay here until he leaves._

His father walked around the room as he watched him go through his things. After a few minutes, he thought he'd leave until he kneeled at the side of his bed and poked his head underneath it to look at him. Kahet covered himself with the pelt but knew it was no use since his father saw in the heat spectrum unlike him.

"Don't hide, Kahet, come here" his father said gently. Kahet shook his head behind the pelt quickly.

"No, you'll hit me" he said and pressed himself against the wall more. "Just leave me alone."

"When a child disobeys, they have to be given a punishment so they learn that they're not supposed to do that" Kantra sighed as he explained. He saw his son shake lightly as he tried to keep away from him. "I'd never hurt you-"

"But you did after your promises!" he accused quickly.

"It's to teach you responsibility for your actions" his father lectured him. "I didn't like hitting you more than you did but you must learn to behave and respect your mother and I as your parents."

Kahet's young mind didn't understand as he stated, "But I came back!"

"We didn't know where you where, son" his father said, worry etched into his voice. "What if something happened to you and you couldn't get help? How could I find you when you left without a word?"

Kahet glanced down in guilt as his father's words began to sink in. He supposed it was a little careless but he wanted to be free and have fun. He'd never felt more alive in the last few hours but what if his father had been right and something bad had happened?

_Someone could have hit or taken me away_, he thought.

"I'm sorry" he said, softly. "I won't do it again."

"You scared me today, Kahet" Kantra said, sighing in deep concern. "If something happened to you, I don't know what I would do. You're my son and I'm meant to protect you from harmful things in the world until you can do it yourself. You can't run away just because you're upset, it could lead to dangerous results. I don't want to lose you one day, son."

Kahet nodded and put his pelt down on the floor. Deciding to trust his father on his word, he said, "You were scared? But you're a grownup."

"We can get scared too" his father chuckled lightly and sat on the floor in order to see him better. His son crawled gently towards him and saw his round face peek at him nervously. Kantra purred softly at him, "You're my pup and I expect to know where you are so I can look after you. You will always be important to me, I don't want you thinking that I don't care because I do. You're my oldest child and as you grow up, I plan to guide you and you may not like it at times but I do it because I want the best for you."

"Will you hit me again?" he asked, fearfully.

"Only when you disobey your mother and I" he said, unfortunately. Kahet sulked and got worried instantly so he began to crawl away. "That's why you must listen to us. You've always been a great child, Kahet. Talk to me, what's wrong?"

Kahet stared at his father apprehensively. What if he said something he didn't like and yelled? Shaking his head quickly, he moved back causing his father to sigh, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

"But you did and it hurt" he whimpered and felt his throat tighten. "The kids who don't talk to me don't even do that."

_Damn pups, why do they have to bother my little one?_, he thought regretfully. _He looks entirely like them._

"I know it hurt and I'm sorry it did" Kantra sighed and realized Iliana was right in her opinion. "Come here, Kahet. I don't want you getting ill from being on that cold floor."

Kahet nodded since his legs felt chilly and crawled out cautiously. His father picked him up and stood so he could sit on the warmer bed instead. He wrapped the pelt around his son to keep him warm and held him on his lap. Purring to him, he held him close to make him feel secure.

"Why did you run, son?" he asked gently.

"No one wanted me to be with the baby" he answered quietly. "I wanted to leave because no one would miss me."

"Of course we'd miss you, you're part of this family" Kantra said smiling down at him. "I'm sorry that we've been busy with Leitjin and haven't been there for you much, I really regret that. But running away is never the answer, I'm here to talk to if you ever have a problem."

"I feel lonely now" Kahet admitted sadly. "No one listens to me. I don't have friends. The twins do because they're full breeds. No one here likes me, father."

_My poor pup, he's too young for this_, Kantra thought.

"It's not your fault so never feel guilty" he said firmly as his son sniffled. "Play with your cousins for now and over the years, people will forget and you'll have many friends."

"You think so?" he asked, hopeful. His father nodded.

"You will, you're a good boy, Kahet" he said gently. "You'll grow up to be someone respectful and in turn, honorable people will seek your friendship because of it. The people who shun you now will regret it as they see you rise among the ranks."

"I hope so" Kahet whispered but smiled. His father purred softly and he listened to calm himself as well as feel safe in his arms again.

"Would you like to go eat?" his father asked, patting his head. "Your mother fixed you a meal."

"Am I still punished?" he asked, giving him a weak smile. His father nodded making him sulk and cross his arms. "No fair."

"How about I take you to the gardens after your punishment is done?" Kantra compromised playfully with his son. "And we can go splash in the pools afterwards."

"Really?" he asked, enthusiastically. "After everything?"

"Yes, you can start learning how to swim" his father grinned making Kahet grimace. "It'll be fun and educational!"

"Umm. . .great" Kahet said, suddenly uninterested. His father chuckled and he smiled towards him, "I love you, father."

"I love you too, son" he smiled appreciatively and hugged his son tightly. "Always."

"Daddy, I can't breathe" his son wheezed out.

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End of **Chapter 8**. And Kahet learns freedom doesn't come without consequences. Thanks to my last reviewers and thanks for reading as always!


	9. Seeds of Love and Doubt

CHAPTER 9:

**Seeds of Love and Doubt  
**

A five year old Kahet sat on the floor of his room playing with his toy spacecrafts. The multicolored toys lay scattered while he held one in one hand and sailed it through the air. He made sound effects from his throat while his mandibles moved around excitedly.

"Captain Kahet sails through the skies" he grinned and moved the toy over his head. "No prey stands in his way."

He laughed and stood up to jog slowly around his room without bumping into things. His room was still pretty empty but most of it contained his toy and wooden weapons he used to play with his friends or himself. Over the months, he played with his cousins outside his home to feel more social and Bakuub played with him in the gardens. Surprisingly, the two became friends quickly and played frequently together unless their parents said so. Today, a family get together would occur so he was extremely happy in the morning.

"I can't wait for lunch today" he smiled happily. Since it was an off day for most workers in the Ade'k'ra, Kahet's family liked to picnic in the gardens. His father and uncles would trade hunt stories while his mother and aunts took care of the food. "Definitely can't wait."

_I hope Aunt Sali'ah brings that roasted meat you have to custom order from the cooks_, he wondered.

His keen hearing picked up a noise from behind and he turned to stare at ten month old Leitjin wearing a loose blue tunic that reached his knees while wearing his diaper underneath. His black hair was tied into a ponytail while his face broke into a smile. He dug into Kahet's open toy box and dug inside it to find himself a toy.

"Leitjin, no!" he said quickly and grabbed his brother away from the box.

His brother protested in a whine as his hands reached out towards the box again but Kahet wrapped his arms around his stomach and dragged him away. Leitjin struggled in his brother's grasp and hissed in annoyance. Kahet placed him down on the floor but Leitjin began to instantly crawl away on his hands and knees. He sighed and grabbed his baby brother to sit him down while blocking his way.

"No, no" Kahet scolded him and pointed his finger at him. "Stay, Leit. Stay."

Leitjin stared at his finger as if it were a toy and grabbed it. He squealed and wagged it around making Kahet wince as his finger was yanked around like nothing. After a few seconds, he pulled it of his brother's hand making him whine again. Looking around curiously, the child saw Kahet's toys and headed in that direction. Groaning, his older brother stopped him again and took him away.

"Eh!" Leitjin protested and tried to wiggle free.

"No, you can't play with those!" Kahet said, annoyed. "You're too little. Mother has _your_ toys in _your _room."

Leitjin ignored him and stood by himself on his two brownish feet shakily. He headed for the toy aircrafts again but Kahet grabbed him before he could fall over his feet. Despite he couldn't walk, Leitjin whined and let out a loud cry.

"Go play in your room" Kahet ordered and held his annoyed brother. "These toys aren't for babies!"

Leitjin began to cry loudly in seconds causing him to sigh and pick him up into his arms. As a five year old, Kahet wasn't too strong but he was stronger than human children so he easily carried his cranky brother out of his room. Leitjin's hazel eyes leaked fast trails of tears down his brown cheeks while his little fists hit Kahet's shoulder in fury. His wails were loud and they echoed throughout the hallway making Kahet sigh.

_They'll probably think I did it_, he thought.

Over the months, Kahet had grown to accept his little brother. True, he still had quarrels with him like most siblings but he didn't resent him like he used to before he was born. Over time, he realized that while Leitjin kept growing, he'd be able to play with him as soon as he walked and talked like his other cousins. Despite his brother could only say his parents names, he would try to get him to understand words from his old reading tablets. Leitjin, however, liked to nibble on them instead and caused his father to yank them out of his mouth before he ruined it.

Kahet entered the kitchen to find his mother setting their morning meal on the table. Their father was off today so he should've been home which Kahet found a little strange. He was about to ask but Leitjin smacked him on the cheek making Kahet growl at him.

"Mother, Leit keeps trying to get into my things!" Kahet complained to his mother and placed his brother on the floor who kept crying. He reached his hands out to his mother who quickly scooped him up. "I said no and he began crying."

"Oh, Leitjin" she sighed and looked at her youngest child. She dried his eyes and hummed to him so he would calm down. The child whimpered and latched onto her quickly and clicked his throat softly. Looking at Kahet, she smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Kahet, but thank you for bringing him here. I don't want him chewing on your toys and accidentally choke on something."

Kahet rumbled his chest in pride and quickly sat down as his mother pointed to his meal. He grabbed his eating utensil quickly and ate hungrily making Leitjin point.

"Mama" he said, looking at her in need. She chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"Well, I was waiting for your father but. ." she began but trailed off. Shrugging, she grabbed a plate and sat down to fill it with food. Leitjin reached to grab a fistful of food but Iliana smacked his hand gently. He stared at her and held on to the food but she shook her head, "Let go of it, baby. I'll give you your food, I don't want you choking."

He nodded slowly and let the food drop from his hand. Licking his hand in content, Kahet made a noise in disgust but then put his own hand into his food and ate it directly from there. Leitjin laughed and pointed causing Kahet to laugh as well but their mother wasn't amused.

"Kahet, where are your table manners?" she spoke firmly in which he groaned quietly.

"But we're not in public" he said and wiped his hand on a cloth. "Leitjin does it."

"He's little, you're 5 now" his mother pointed out but smiled nonetheless. "You know the difference."

"What about father? He put sauce all over his face days ago" Kahet laughed loudly causing Leitjin to wave his round arms in reaction. "And he's a big grownup."

"Your father's an exception" Iliana disagreed quickly with a light blush and muttered, "When he eats, he gobbles down everything in sight."

"Where is father, anyway?" Kahet asked, looking around the room as if he'd find him. "I thought he was here."

"He went to your Uncle Sau-Trul's office" she sighed and fed Leitjin a piece of meat which he eagerly munched. "I think he's getting another assignment."

"I hope he doesn't leave again" he mumbled quietly and looked at his mother. "I miss him when he goes on travel."

"Me too but maybe it's an onboard assignment" she suggested but knew it was unlikely, he rarely received any. "We'll see when he returns."

"Mama" Leitjin said, pointing to the food quickly. She smiled and gave him another bite. He purred in content as he ate, "Mmm."

"When will he learn new words?" Kahet wondered as he watched him eat with a curious glance. Then pouted, "He only knows two words."

"Give him time, every child is different" she said, smiling at him. "He'll learn another eventually."

"What was my first word?" he asked, curiously. "Was it 'father'?"

"No, it was 'mama', then it was that" she chuckled in remembrance. "I was so happy but your father sulked for a few days."

"What was your first word?" Kahet asked again making her laugh. "What?"

"Even I don't know that, sweetie" she said in amusement and fed her youngest again, "I never asked and my parents are light-years away. . ." her voice trailed off softly but it picked up again, "why don't you ask Grandma about Father?"

"I will" he said, nodding in determination. "I bet it was 'food'."

"I bet it was 'Hunt'" Iliana laughed while Kahet giggled. "Or 'Mother'. He's very attached to your Grandma."

"Mmm!" Leitjin hummed and waved his arms. He grabbed a handful of food and ate it quickly before Iliana could stop him. He chewed in content and murmured, "Ehhh."

"His hunger's just like your father's" she chuckled in delight.

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"You're what?" Iliana demanded in annoyance. Kantra sighed and soothed her shoulders with his hands.

"I've been given an assignment for planet Veler" he informed her slowly and watched her eyes narrow. "Iliana, I cannot say no."

Kantra had just returned from the Arbitrator's level with his new assignment that obviously infuriated his mate. For the previous months, he'd started exploring planets where aliens gathered and traded which would be of interest to hiding Bad Bloods. His studies over the laws had finished and he would now be studying and learning the different languages used by a wide variance of species which he would need while hunting down criminals. Iliana hated the recent trips because of the distance, her usual worry, and because she couldn't explore with him like she used to.

"What if the people treat you wrong?" she asked, worried. "Or try to attack you? Your species isn't cuddly, you know."

"Exactly, I can rip them in half within seconds or terrify them" he grinned at her but she didn't seem affected by his joke. Sighing, he said, "My work will get more difficult over the years, I told you this years ago when we became bonded."

_Not surfing the galaxy difficult_, she thought.

"I know but. . ." Iliana sighed and trailed off, "I miss you when you're gone and so do the children."

"It is something I cannot change" he said, cupping her chin. "These are my duties and I must follow them. I don't like being away from you either but I must."

"How long do you have to do this for?" she asked, looking away. She really hated parting from him for months.

_I wish he'd take trips every other year like the hunters_, she thought. _Not every other month._

"I will return in two months" he said, assuming everything went according to plan.

"Two? But Leitjin is getting ready to walk, you can't miss that" she groaned and turned away from him. "Can't you go to a closer planet?"

_He'll miss one of his milestones_, she thought upset. _I know it sounds selfish but it's our baby._

"No, this is how it goes within my rank" Kantra said, firmly. He turned her around to face him and purred softly into the crook of her neck, "I am sorry if I miss his first steps but I will leave in four days. You must understand that this is what I must do now here on the Ade'k'ra."

"Kantra" she sighed in a gloomy tone. She held his face close to hers and asked, "How long must you keep taking these trips?"

"Years, Ana" he said gently causing her shoulders to drop in depression. Holding her tightly, he added quickly, "Eight years."

"Eight?!" she gasped and looked at him square in the eyes. "Kahet will almost be a teenager by that time. Why so long?"

"That is not long in our time, some do these trips for twenty years" he said, trying to lighten the situation. She glared at him instantly. "I need the experience if I am to succeed, Iliana. Sacrifices are always made throughout life, you know."

"But eight years, Kantra?" she whispered but nodded her head sadly, "I'll miss you."

"I know you will and it pains me that this is how it must be" he said and purred soothingly at her, "We'll take this one step at a time. I love you, remember that when I'm away."

"Always" she whispered in anguish. "You're my other half so return to me safely. I don't know what the children and I would do without you."

"You're a brave female, do not let this worry you" he said kindly and gripped her shoulders to look at her. His green eyes looked firmly into her hazel ones which shone in sadness but she closed them and reopened them with a firm look to match. "That's my Iliana."

"Who'll expect you back in two months exactly" she said, kissing his neck and caressing his lower mandibles. "Without any serious injuries."

"How serious are we talking here?" he teased playfully and bit her nose gently. She bit her bottom lip and gave him a firm look. "I'll be fine, Ana."

"You better, I've rarely been apart from you for years" she smiled and kissed him firmly. Caressing his chest, she whispered, "Mate with me."

"You always get horny when you're worried" he trilled making her blush in embarrassment. Grinning eagerly, he purred deeply, "I won't complain though. Your scent drives me insane when you are."

"Must you point it out?" she scolded in a quiet hiss. He grunted and nipped at her neck with his teeth softly. She relaxed her body against his warm touches and mumbled, "You psychotic hunter."

Kantra smiled at her old name for him back when they had just met under intolerable situations towards each other .

_(Flashback)  
__6 years ago. . ._

"_Fine, today we will finish this hunt, meet me at the same spot as yesterday" Kantra said, firmly. "And I want my weapons back, if I win, I keep your skull. If you win, you keep those weapons."_

"_Fine, as long as I can be done with you" Iliana said, narrowing her eyes. "I have no time for psychotic hunters. What time?"_

"_You choose" he responded simply._

"_At 4, I will be done with my work and errands" she said, easily. Sticking her nose into the air, she said, "I will bring my own weapons too."_

"_I will look forward to it, my dear" Kantra said, nodding. She glared at him with a small look of disgust._

"_I swear if you call me that again, I'll kick you between the legs so hard you won't breed" Iliana said, pointing a finger at him. He hissed and nodded. "Now get out."_

"_Of course, but first I need something to wipe this sticky stuff you threw at me" he said, going to her sink. She raised her brows in surprise at how much of the human world he knew already. How did he know all this?! Obviously, he didn't go into homes to ask people to teach him. She placed the mug she held down and sighed. Going to the sink, she turned on the water. He wiped the coffee off and observed her counter._

"_I do hope you don't plan on using your silly contraptions like last time" Kantra trilled in his laughter as he tapped his claws on the tiling. "I assure you they won't work."_

"_Gee, your mask took a good beating yesterday though" Iliana mocked with a grin. "And I've found a weakness in your sight, so I can use that too. I am going to miss hiding your clothes very much though, I hope you had fun searching yesterday."_

_Kantra turned off the water and grabbed her throat with his other hand. While he did that though, she was able to place her foot between his legs instantly. He felt it and let go of her in reluctance after having no wish to have a kick to that area. Iliana glared and rubbed her sore throat which held faint claw marks._

"_You won't be able to keep hitting me there and if you continue, I may hit you there as well so you will not reproduce" he hissed._

"_Oh and I was so looking forward to having your baby" Iliana said, rolling her eyes._

"_No, that honor will never be yours" he growled in revulsion. "So be gone."_

"_You're in my home so you leave" Iliana pointed out and he hissed in return._

"_By the end of today, you won't have one" Kantra sneered._

"_Keep that up, you won't have your manhood when you leave here" she said, motioning to kick him. He quickly backed away in case she did._

_Why must she always kick me there?, he thought._

"_Fine, I'm going, silly girl" he mumbled._

_She watched him cloak and head out to her window. After seeing him leave, she felt relieved instantly._

"_How did that psycho just come in here like nothing?" she said, placing a hand on her cheek. "He's worse than a burglar! I'd rather choose that than this!"  
_

"I'm sorry I kicked you there so much" Iliana chuckled and kissed him gently. Her fingernails traced down his chest in a pleasing scratch as he bit her bottom lip softly. Smiling amusingly, she said, "Who knew you'd actually stay fertile and give me your firstborn."

"Good thing you stopped before I became sterile" he laughed and laid her down on their bed. She reached out to grab him onto her lustfully as he squeezed her body firmly between the bed and his own frame. He gently grazed his mandibles over her cheeks as his claws traced down her covered stomach to say, "I really was out of line to say and do the things I did back then. If I-"

"It was many years ago" she interrupted and raked her fingernails down his back stirring a rich purr from him. He tore the clothes she wore easily and licked her top of her bare breasts eagerly. Groaning softly, she uttered, "I would not trade this for anything in the universe."

_I would go through all of it again just to be with him_, she thought fondly.

"My dearest" he purred and kissed her firmly to explore her sweet mouth again. His hands worked over her body to caress and tease her into the pleasure she sought from him. Her spine arched her body against his as she moaned faintly while his teeth and tongue nipped at her neck and shoulders. Parting her legs with his hand, he teased her pleasure spot with the back of his thumb while entering her with another of his fingers. Her arms went around his neck to keep him close as her eyes glazed over in passion.

"Kantra" she mewed pleasurably as she undid his loincloth easily. Her fingers massaged his arousing member gently causing his chest to rumble deeply and vibrate against hers. His tongue teased her round breasts while his fingers worked between her legs and her hand caressed him faster. He growled loudly and took her hand away from him, surprising her.

"I thought you liked that" she said, confused. Then smirked, "You purr like a pup when I do."

"I'm leaving soon and I will be pleasuring you so you'll thank _me_ when I return" he said slyly making her chuckle softly. "A good mate keeps the other pleased, safe, and happy."

Placing himself between her legs, he grabbed her hips and leaned down to trace his tongue over her wet folds causing her to inhale deeply as he tasted her with his moist tongue. Massaging her spot again, his tongue pushed inside of her entrance and her hips bucked against his touch instantly. Her excited moans rose as his tongue pushed in and out while his mandibles grazed the skin of her inner thighs. His tongue lapped up her sweet juices as his chest rumbled in content while his mate cried out his name repeatedly under his hold. Her walls began to contract so he pulled away quickly and grabbed her hips with his hands again to penetrate her with his member. She cried loudly in pleasure and relief when he thrust himself at a fast pace into her while her legs wrapped around his waist tightly. He growled and leaned down to bite her shoulder and arms affectionately as she kissed his body any place her lips could reach. He cupped one of her breasts and squeezed it gently and in return, she cupped his right butt cheek and did the same while smiling coyly at him.

"You'll pay for that" he smiled back and kissed her deeply which she gladly returned.

Letting go of her, he turned her onto her stomach and grabbed her hips to raise her on all fours. After making sure her body was comfortable under his, he bit the back of her shoulder, leaving faint marks, and entered her in one thrust. Iliana grabbed a pillow in support while he pushed into her deeply and raked his claws down her back playfully. His claws left small scratches on her skin which she enjoyed every time they mated.

_I hate this position but for some weird reason, his kind loves it_, she thought.

"No fair, I can't touch you" she groaned and moved her sweaty hair over her shoulder. He trilled in delight and pushed faster into her while she grit her teeth from the force of it.

Deciding that she didn't like this position much, as usual, he turned her onto her back gently without removing himself from her and resumed his pace. She smiled happily at him which he returned and spread her legs wider so he could finish inside her. Thrusting faster into her, she shouted out as her body felt the same heat before reaching her climax and her walls tightened around his stiff member as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close like always. Sweet pleasure washed over her as she reached orgasm and became limp against him as he finished inside her as well in his usual roar of pleasure. Taking a deep breath, Kantra pulled out of her and began to move to the side but she locked her legs around his waist to stop him.

"Stay close to me, don't move" she whispered softly as her eyelids closed for a lightly. "I need your body against mine until you leave. You know how much of a sentimental fool I can be."

"I'll stay with you" he assured her gently in a purr while wiping her sweaty forehead with his hand. She smiled and opened her tired eyes to nuzzle her nose against his cheek.

"I love you, my crazy hunter" she said, running her hands through his dreads. Then kissed his cheek and grinned cheekily at him, "You remember when you threw us both off of that cliff and we washed ashore on a riverbed?"

Kantra thought back throughout his memories and nodded, "Yes, it wasn't a happy day though. You left me nude in the forest after stealing my armor."

"True" she giggled and kissed his neck in sympathy as she continued, "But the riverbed, remember it?"

He nodded again causing her to kiss him deeply before saying, "If we hadn't been trying to kill each other then, that would've made a great place for a memorable mating. Romantic in a mucky way too. Cool water, mud, two people wrestling the clothes off each other. . ."

"You're very creative" Kantra laughed and nuzzled her face with his. "Too bad we were too pissed off at each other to notice. Now that I think about it, it would've been thrilling to throw your body onto the mud as you begged the mighty hunter to ravish you."

"Hmm, role playing, eh?" she teased and kissed the palm of his hand gingerly as he smiled at her. "Why don't we try that when you return? You can be the renegade Bad Blood while I'm the innocent but oh so cute human you can't keep your hands off of. Opposites attract, you know."

"Interesting. . .wait, isn't that our tale?" he asked, a little confused. She groaned in disillusion and pouted. He chuckled and bit her cheek playfully, "How about this? The valiant yautja hunter saving a female ooman from a group of evil men who want to sell her to an evil empire. He saves her and gets a little extra in return."

"Hmm, I'd rather just have you be aggressive and ravish me in the tub" she said, blowing out a puff of air on his chin. He laughed with her and held her before his time ran out to leave her.

_My beloved, there is no other like you_, he thought.

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"Guess who?!" a loud voice spoke up.

"No! Not you! Noooo!" Kantra yelled and pulled at his dreads instantly. The people around him glanced at him in surprise. "Get out before I end up cleaning Sau-Trul's ship!"

The whole family was currently in the gardens with the females setting up the food while the kids waited eagerly for it. The males conversed in their own little group who had stopped to see the frantic Kantra almost have a panic attack.

"Eliok!" Iliana and Kahet greeted happily. Kantra glared at his mate for her peppy reaction towards the other male.

_Doesn't she understand what chaos he brings?_, he thought in dismay. _Will we ever be rid of the catastrophic being?_

"I'm so glad you could join us" Iliana smiled as she walked over to him. He bowed to her and gave her a one arm hug. She grabbed his blue arm and led him over to Kantra, "You haven't been here in a long time."

"I have to travel a lot, you know" he told her and looked at the playful children, "So where's the new little Kantra? I see Kahet's gotten big."

"Leitjin's a little shy so he sticks to his brother" she giggled as Kantra sighed and gave the other male a greeting nod. "Will you be staying over?"

"Iliana, if he has business, we cannot keep him" Kantra interrupted hastily.

"Kantra" she scolded at his behavior making him cross his arms and huff. She hit his arm playfully and smiled at Eliok, "Do you need a place to stay overnight?"

"If you wouldn't mind, I have to go to this planet and collect a recent bounty" he said, grabbing her hand gratefully in a shake. "You'd be surprised of the high rates just for a tiny room nowadays near docking bays. I won't be a bother and I can play with the kids. I'm a great babysitter!"

_He looks more like a monster that would chase and eat them but he can buy me some time with Iliana later on_, Kantra thought.

"Why not? It'll make my mate happy, obviously" he shrugged and nodded in defeat. Then pointed at him firmly, "Do not embarrass me while you're here."

"I promise, besides, we have fun" he grinned and waved over to Sau-Trul, "Hey Arbitrator, how ya been? Long time no see!"

Sau-Trul blinked in puzzlement but glared afterwards at his behavior. Kantra groaned and guessed he'd be getting a lecture about his pick in friends. Aru'Kar walked over and punched his depressed brother's arm to cheer him up.

"So, I see Big Blue's back" he laughed and shook Eliok's hand. "Here to make more chaos?"

"I don't bring chaos, I bring fun" Eliok smirked making them laugh except Kantra. Looking at him, he said, "C'mon, don't sulk. I'm not that bad."

"True but the ship may not see it that way" he said coolly. "Just don't turn my sons into pranksters."

"Naw, I'm sure one of your brothers will do that" he joked making Kantra growl. "But I can prank your brother-in-law and-"

"No! He'll take it out on me once you leave!" Kantra objected in irritation. "No pranks!"

"You're a cheerless man, Kantra" Eliok sighed and shook his head humorously. "I see that Iliana and I have not rubbed off on you. Well, maybe she's rubbed against you but-"

"There's children present!" Iliana interrupted quickly in a scold and left to go tend to the children.

"You never change, do you?" Kantra mumbled.

"Nope" he grinned and looked at Aru'Kar with a grin, "So I heard you went to Earth to find yourself a female?"

"Is something wrong with that?" he hissed protectively and looked at his mate grabbing their eager son away from the food.

"No, I thought we'd agreed that if you any of you visited Earth, you'd tell me or bring me food!" he exclaimed in an outburst. Aru'Kar sighed in disbelief and looked at Kantra who'd left to go talk to his brothers.

_Oh no, I'm alone with him now!_, Aru'Kar thought desperately but shoved it away. _Oh well, unlike Kantra, I can stand him._

On a further side, the kids eagerly awaited the food they'd get to eat. Aru'Dre tried to grab some but Zia yanked his little hands away. The twins complained to their mother to go faster while Kahet sipped a drink with a purring Leitjin resting against him.

"If you would help, this would go a lot faster" Sali'ah told the anxious children. She was in charge of cutting the food for everyone and she was not a happy woman with the meat burning her fingertips.

"I told you to get it precut but did you listen?" Bai'Kar teased her daughter and moved over to help her. "No, my powerful daughter does things her way."

"Exactly" she nodded proudly and singed her finger. "Ow!"

Iliana chuckled softly at her frustrated sister-in-law as she set the plates and other utensils for everyone to use. Zia grabbed the impatient twins in both arms and brought them over to where Aru'Dre was. Putting them down, she brushed her dark hair back and glared at her mate with annoyed brown eyes.

"You'd think the males would help instead of boosting their egos" she complained to Iliana.

"That's just how it is" she chuckled and smacked Kahet's hand who wanted to get a plate. "Not until Grandma says so."

"No fair!" the twins cried in unison. Sali'ah gave them a firm look causing them to hug each other comically.

"I'm hungry" Aru'Dre whined to his mother. She sighed and patted his head in sympathy.

After a few minutes, Sali'ah began fixing the food onto the plates with all of the females help. Kila grabbed the plates and began passing them to the children, beginning with Aru'Dre.

"Father! Food's ready!" Kila shouted loudly throughout the gardens to her father who winced but nodded.

"Kila, no yelling in public places" Bai'Kar scolded her and she nodded while hiding a small grin.

Kahet received his plate of food and noticed that his piece of meat had a bite mark over the roasted and crunchy top part while his remaining food was untouched. Looking over at Leitjin who received his, he saw the same thing.

"My meat has a bite in it!" Sau'Nak exclaimed angrily to his mother. Sali'ah stopped fixing the food to look at his plate.

"Mines too!" Kahet agreed quickly.

"Now who would. . ." Sali'ah asked and looked around to see what had happened.

"Aru'Dre!" Zia scolded quickly and they all turned to see a purring Aru'Dre eating the top of each piece of meat that Kila was handing him and placing them back on the plates carelessly. She took the plate away from him and smacked his hand firmly, "Stop that, this food is for the family. You have yours."

"No!" he hissed and tried to reach for another piece but his mother yanked him away. "Mama, no!"

Zia grabbed his untouched plate and scooped him up in her other arm. She took him away and walked over to her mate to give the growling child to him.

"Feed him while I fix the food he ruined" she said and looked at her son, "That wasn't nice, when you return, you apologize."

"But-" he started but she gave him a stern look. "Yes, Mother."

Iliana helped Sali'ah by cutting more of the meat to fix what Aru'Dre had done. Bai'Kar soothed the complaining children by giving them something to drink while Kila began to play with the grass instead.

"He ate our meat" Sau'Nak huffed and crossed his arms. "The top of the meat's the best part too."

Sri'shan opened his mouth to let out a sobbing cry, "Mother!"

"You'll get your food, don't worry" she assured him instantly and gave him the first plate to quiet his cries. He grabbed it eagerly and began to gobble it down. "They love that food, don't they?"

"We should pry the recipe out of the cooks" Iliana suggested and passed Sau'Nak and Kila their plates. Kahet made a whine to catch her attention. "Soon, Kahet."

Eventually, everyone received a plate and began to eat in peace. Even Eliok, though he mostly ate anything except the meat due to his species diet. He sat next to a sulky Kantra who conversed with him anyway since Iliana was busy with the children. Aru'Kar kept his son in check before he could try eating anyone else's meal and had made him apologize to the children. Kila kept trying to force feed her father more food despite he'd eaten a lot, most of it due to her. The adult twins kept taking Badru's food until he complained to his mother who smacked both adults over the head. Sau-Trul kept away from his cranky mate who held burnt fingertips and didn't dare to ask her for more, unlike his sons who happily received seconds.

Kahet was finishing his food off when Leitjin grabbed his last bite and ate it with joy. His sharp teeth chewed on it happily while his mandibles closed in pleasure of the salty taste. Kahet stared in disbelief and growled at him afterwards.

"Leit, that was mine, you ate yours!" he snapped in a hiss. Leitjin just stared blankly and giggled. "It's not funny!"

Kahet pouted and stood up to go see if there were leftover pieces for him to eat. Why'd he have to take his food instead of their mother's? She liked to share her stuff all the time! Grumbling, he grabbed his plate and started to walk away.

"Kahet!" Leitjin called quickly.

"What?!" he demanded and turned around to look at his brother. Quickly, his eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, what did you say?"

"Kahet" he repeated and reached out his hand.

"You said my name!" Kahet smiled and forgot his anger towards him. Rushing to him, he grabbed him into his arms and walked over to his mother who was laughing with Eliok.

"What is it?" she asked, getting worried as to why both her sons looked wound up.

"He said another word!" Kahet said excitedly. "Say it, Leit."

"Kahet" Leitjin giggled and hugged his brother. Kahet hugged him back and looked at him mother.

"Oh, my babies" she gushed happily. Poking her mate, who hissed at being distracted from his food, she asked, "Did you hear?"

"Of course, I told you how much your brother loves you" Kantra smiled and ruffled both of his children's hair. They growled making him laugh. "It's a fun day today, isn't it?"

"We're happy together" Eliok sighed blissfully. Then grinned, "Admit it. It's almost like our time on Earth."

"You almost left me behind!" Kantra pointed out quickly. "If I hadn't run after the ships, I'd be stuck on Earth now!"

"But I saw you outside the window and stopped" he said evenly and patted his shoulder. "You're here _now_."

"You'll doom us all one day" Kantra muttered while Aru'Kar laughed at their conversation.

"It was funny too, he screamed and everything" Ani-De told his twin amusingly. Kantra growled at them and sulked yet again. "He did that too."

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"You have everything?" Iliana asked nervously and bit her bottom lip. Kantra nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "The kids will miss you once they wake. I'm glad you talked to them yesterday, they'd cry if they saw you today."

"I know, take care of them" he said softly and bit her top lip before kissing her firmly. "I'll be fine, I'm not a man who breaks his promises."

"That's what I love about you" she chuckled sadly and caressed his mandibles. He nuzzled his face against hers as she traced her warm fingers down his cold metal armor.

"I thought it was because of my good looks" he joked, trying to lighten both of their moods. "I'll see you in two months, Iliana."

"Be careful" she said as she held his face to plant kisses over it. "Don't do anything crazy like you always do and don't let anyone push you around. Get what you need and come back to me."

"That's what I plan to do" he nodded and kissed her deeply one last time. Her arms wrapped around his waist as his claws dug into her shoulders. Letting go of her, her lips reached for his mouth again and like the lovesick pup that he was, he returned her gesture. After a few minutes, he let go and cleared his throat, "We have to stop or I'm mating with you here and I can't."

"Sure about that?" she smiled bashfully but knew he was right. She backed away from him as he placed his black mask over his face. It was still the same mask he wore when he met her making her smile wider.

"I'll see you later" he purred and activated the door's keypad to open. He never liked to say goodbye to her because it would worry her more with that departing word. So, he chose a human phrase to claim that he would return to her each time he left.

"Later, my handsome hunter" she smiled and he left without a further word. Closing the door and securing it with the keypad again, she murmured, "I love you."

"He'll be fine, Iliana" a raspy voice spoke behind her. She turned quickly and sighed at seeing Eliok. Apparently, they'd woken him up. He smiled sympathetically at her, "This is Kantra we're talking about. He's one tough male and trust me, he's not easy to bring down. He'll blow up a planet just to be with you."

"You're right" she nodded firmly and smiled. "He'll be back before I know it."

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End of **Chapter 9**. And the story takes a little grim turn as Kantra begins journeying alone and Iliana's left to fend for herself during every trip now. So thanks for reading and review please. Also, thanks to my last reviewers whom I always thank for their happy comments!


	10. Shaky Paths

CHAPTER 10:

**Shaky Paths**

"Ready for your first day?" Iliana asked excitedly. Kahet snorted while Leitjin fidgeted.

"I'm used to it" Kahet mumbled and ate his morning meal. He wore a thin fabric brown tunic with a simple loincloth and black sandals. His brown hair was tied up in a ponytail while his green eyes looked tired. The nine year old hated new instruction years because it usually came from his grandmother as the teacher and he couldn't wait to start his Chiva training once he became fourteen.

"I don't want to go!" Leitjin whimpered and pushed his food away. Similar to his brother's tunic, he wore it in a beige color while wearing the same ensemble as his brother and most yautja male children. His black hair was brushed into a low ponytail as he rattled his mandible tusks in nervousness against his teeth. Unlike his confident brother, the five year old Leitjin was more a shy and quiet child, and usually tried to avoid social encounters.

"I know you're nervous but you have to" his mother soothed and pushed his food back to him. Squeezing his hand in assurance, she smiled, "This is when you begin to grasp the knowledge of society and what your expectations will be. Kahet did the same thing too and look, he's confident."

"He's used to it, I'm not" he said sadly and hugged her waist. "I want to stay here with you."

"You can't, this is mandatory" she sighed and kneeled down to look into his scared eyes. "New situations are a little scary but I'm sure you'll fit in and Kahet won't be far from you."

"What if they make fun of me?" he sniffled and looked away. "I don't know anyone."

Kahet glanced at his brother and felt sorry for him. He'd gone through the same thing as well but in his case, he was the first hybrid so everyone either asked him confusing questions or left him alone because of what he was. He had hated his first year but now, he was used to it and his cousins were close by too so he had no worries.

"You'll be fine, it's fun" Kahet said, trying to cheer up his brother. Leitjin looked at him nervously and he patted his head. "If anyone bugs you, just tell me."

"Really?" he asked, hesitant. "You. . .you'll be there?"

"Of course, I'm your big brother" he smiled proudly at him. "No one messes with you while I'm around."

Leitjin nodded slowly and began to eat his breakfast again. He really hoped his mother was right and he'd fit in with the other kids. However, he was still nervous about how other children would react to him. Would he make friends or would they ignore him? Sighing gently, he ate and tried to stomach his food despite his nerves were on edge.

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"All right, children, find a spot to sit at and get comfortable" Iliana spoke up to the class of fifteen boys and girls who occupied a quiet room within the library, where classes were held. Usually, the first five years, both genders were combined to teach the traditions, customs, and language grammar of the yautja society in the Lower Division. Once they were ten, males and females were separated and taught the knowledge they needed for their future ranks in their Upper Division studies.

"You're our teacher?" one boy spoke up haughtily. "You're not a yautja."

"Yes, but I've lived here far longer than all of you and have been approved by a fellow instructor to teach you for your first year" she spoke clearly to all of them. "So, does anyone here object so far?"

_Mother!_, Leitjin thought happily as he picked a spot at the front to sit at. Her eyes stayed on him for a few seconds in recognition before she showed them a silver tablet with a digital inscription.

"Can anyone tell me what this means?" she asked the quiet children. They shook their heads but Leitjin raised his hand meekly. "Yes, Leitjin?"

"It's the symbol for the La'u-Yun clan" he said shyly while his cheeks turned darker.

"That's exactly right!" she smiled and nodded causing him to look down bashfully. "Now, I want you to practice this symbol on the tablets you've brought with you and I'll look over them in five minutes."

Leitjin took out his tablet from his little brown knapsack along with an inscribing pen. His fingers gripped it delicately while his brows furrowed in concentration. He was determined to write the inscription as best he could and hopefully, better than the other pups. Iliana watched her new students, especially her son who kept away from everyone.

After five minutes or so, the children put down their tablets nervously as Iliana walked over to each of them to observe them. Some had made a good attempt while others had scribbled something, while others went way off and drew objects.

"Uh. . .let's try again" she said, raising a brow. "Every morning I will expect you to write a new word and learn it into your writing."

"What if it's too hard?" one of the girls asked.

"I will help you until you understand" Iliana smiled at the orange tinted girl. "In this class, you will learn the alphabet in order to write and read our language. You will also learn the basic rules of conduct in society so you never get in trouble as you grow up."

"Will we get assignments?" another boy asked near the front.

"Occasionally, but most of your work will be here" she said and clapped her hands. "Return to your second try and I will recheck your work."

The pups nodded and began on their work once again. Iliana sat down in a chair nearby and prepared the slides of containing the letters of the yautja language. It took her forever to get a handle on them due to the fact that each letter was a symbol and could change when used in a word. Unlike English letters which were one symbol, yautja letters contained different lines and symbols, almost like Asian languages. She remembered the nights Kantra tried to teach her, only to get him frustrated at getting nowhere since her vocal chords were much different. Eventually, Bai'Kar taught her since her son held no patience.

_I'm sure they'll get a hang of it_, she thought. _Their brains are more advanced and ready to learn than mines was._

Once the time passed, Iliana made another walk to see their work and saw it had made a little improvement. Returning to her seat, she grabbed the educational props and held them in her hands.

"Okay, now that you learned how it looks, we're going to learn each letter of the word" she smiled at all of them. "By the end of today, you'll be able to write each letter in the word La'u-Yun."

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"I can't believe you're teaching" Kahet whined to his mother as he ate lunch on their table back home. "Kids are going to laugh at me. I'll be the baby of the entire Lower Division."

"Honey, you're exaggerating" Iliana said, shrugging and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I'm not even teaching your class."

"But you're right down the hall!" he pointed out and sulked angrily. "Do you have to teach?"

"I like mother being the teacher" Leitjin said happily as he tore off his tunic and threw away his sandals. With an infectious smile, he said, "I won't be alone."

"Mother can't be your only friend" Kahet pointed out sharply and narrowed his eyes. "I don't like it. What will father say?"

"He doesn't have a say, he's away on a mission" his mother responded firmly and looked at her oldest child, "And I'm going to continue teaching, Kahet. Females can have non-hunting jobs onboard if they want and it's time I got into a profession. Your father's away a lot and I want to do something while you attend school so I won't be alone here. I'm used to putting my mind to work on something and since there's nothing to do in the morning, I chose this."

_I would've rather stayed a veterinarian but the yautja have no uses for that_, she thought glumly. _And I've no idea on their anatomy and physiology either._

"I'm sorry you don't like it, Kahet, but I plan to keep teaching" she stated and crossed her arms. "Nothing bad will happen, so don't worry."

"Yes and she can hide snacks for us so we can eat them during break" Leitjin added hopefully.

"Kids will probably beat us up for them" Kahet muttered under his breath making his brother look down.

"No one will hurt you, your grandmother and I will make sure of it" his mother said sharply. "Now, eat your meal."

"No! I don't want to eat" he hissed and ran away from the table. Running down the hallway, away from his room, he found a small room next to his parents bedroom and went inside. Locking the door from the inside, he sat down and rested against one of the metal walls. Kahet's eyes trailed over the collection of trophies his sire had attained over his warrior years. New skulls also adorned a new case that he had used for trophies where he visited planets to hunt and keep his skills up against strong prey.

_One day I'll have a room just like this_, he thought excitedly.

"Kahet! Get out of your father's room now" his mother's voice ordered from behind the door. "You know the rule: Your father must be there with you."

_I hate it when he hides in there_, she thought.

"I'll get out only if you stop teaching" he said, defiantly. "I don't want kids making fun of me!"

"They won't, sweetheart" Iliana sighed on the other side and ran her hand down the door. "You may not like it but I have to do things outside the home too."

"You have us and father" Kahet said, confused. "You don't need a class."

_His mind is still innocent_, she thought warmly.

"Kahet, I can't be inside the house always" she explained gently. "I'm human and I have a tendency to be curious and try new things. I want to give something to our society and this is one way. I'm sorry that you're upset about this but I'll try not to get in your way at school, okay?"

Iliana felt sorry that he felt insecure about his safety and most of it due to her being his mother. It's not that he was embarrassed of his mother but he was tired of the taunts over the years because of his half-breed genetics. Ignoring those kind of people helped most of the time, but there were some who persisted no matter what and that's what he hated the most. That and he didn't want to get picked on for his treats by bullies also.

"Fine" he sighed in defeat and got up while clicking irritably. Unlocking the door, he walked outside towards his mother and looked down, "I'm sorry."

"I know, it's always hard fitting in" she nodded and hugged him tightly. Letting him go, she said, "How about you finish your meal? You don't want it cold, do you?"

"No" he said, shaking his head and followed her to the kitchen, "When will father return?"

"In a few weeks" she sighed and tried to forget her usual worried thoughts. "Now how about going to the gardens later?"

"I was going to go with Bakuub but all right" he grinned happily.

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"Glad I got you out of there, huh?" Sali'ah grinned proudly. Iliana chuckled in agreement and nodded. "I'm the same as you. I get tired of the babble and decide to do my own thing."

Sali'ah had just rescued the poor Iliana from a weekly female meeting that females in the Ade'k'ra attended either as regulars or varyingly. Iliana had never attended one seeing as she was either tending to her children, talking to Zia or Sali'ah, mating with Kantra, or training with Aru'Kar. However, after her class, Bai'Kar caught her off guard and brought her to a meeting. Surprisingly, the meeting had been small and consisted of mated females who apparently, liked to gossip in this meet. Since it was her first time there, everyone had questions about her and humankind. Eventually, the subject was changed which she was more than happy for. Iliana soon became bored about who was mating with who temporarily, who was expecting, who'd made a drunk of themselves, and so on. Eventually, Sali'ah, who had also been swindled into it, yanked the half asleep Iliana and taken her and said they needed to check on their pups before Bai'Kar could say otherwise. The two women now walked through the halls in freedom as they headed for the mess hall.

"Are they mandatory?" she sighed in disdain. "To be honest, they're not that interesting. I like the advice but not the gossip."

"I'm so glad you became my brother's mate" she laughed and wrapped her arm over the smaller female's shoulder. "Otherwise, I'd be bored to death. The meetings aren't mandatory, it's just a way for females to gather with friends and relax without the influence of males."

"Thanks- oh, there's a free table!" Iliana said, pointing quickly.

Both females walked to the open table quickly before it became filled for the lunch period. Sali'ah usually came here with Iliana during the lunch period and Bai'Kar sometimes joined them unless she aided other females on board with other matters. Iliana was surprised at how many things Kantra's mother could do within a day. Sitting down, they relaxed their feet and sighed in relief at being away from the female meeting.

"So how are the little runts behaving?" Sali'ah asked her.

"Not bad, they're getting the hang of things" she smiled timidly then sighed, "At first, I don't think they took me seriously because I'm human but eventually, they realized I'm there to stay."

"Some can be hell raisers" she nodded in return and chuckled, "If any angry parents come to you, just tell me and I'll beat the crap out of them."

"Didn't Sau-Trul tell you to stop that?" Iliana laughed, eyes shutting to hold back her laughs. "You've almost knocked out half the ship, according to him."

"Meh, he doesn't tell me what to do" she snorted and moved back against her chair. The eta's arrived and placed plates of food onto their tables and bowed quickly.

"Thank you" Iliana said, dipping her head thankfully. The servants stared at her in puzzlement but nodded shyly and left.

"You still do that? Iliana, you know the way of our people towards the eta caste" Sali'ah informed her as she shook her head. Grabbing some food onto her plate, she sighed, "You must be their most respected female to serve for by now."

"I was raised differently and I treat everyone courteously, no matter what the social status" she smiled softly as she began to eat. "Some of them are nice, I talked to some once."

"Iliana, it's rare for anyone of the upper castes to speak to one from below" she told her quietly then smiled, "Good for you, you're becoming a rebel."

"What?! No!" she gasped quickly. "The last thing I want is to upset the balance of this ship."

"You're headstrong, I wouldn't be surprised if you end up an Elder's mate one day" Sali'ah teased playfully.

"Kantra wants to be an Arbitrator, he will not qualify for Elder in the future" Iliana chuckled as she watched more residents enter the mess hall. "It doesn't matter though, I just want to my mate with me no matter what status he has."

"My brother's lucky, most females would pressure the male to better himself" Sali'ah told her simply. "Females always choose the best male and males must make themselves worthy all of the time."

"Is that why your father dislikes Sau-Trul? Because he's at the top here so far?" she grinned cheekily. Sali'ah chuckled and shook her head.

"He wanted me to mate a Warrior or Leader but I decided on Sau-Trul" she smiled in distaste at first but smiled at her mate's name, "I've never met anyone who tolerated my stubborn attitude and I tolerated his cold one so we fit perfectly."

"Parents, you love them but sometimes you must ignore them" she smiled but it faded quickly. Sometimes when the word 'parents' popped up, she couldn't forget hers and wondered where they were and if they ever thought of her. She missed them years before she met Kantra and hoped they-

"Iliana?" Sali'ah's voice popped into her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just missed my parents" she sighed and put on a sad smile, "And Kantra, I miss him every time he leaves."

_Poor Iliana, she's still not used to our long years and her humanity always makes her more emotional when alone_, Sali'ah thought in sympathy.

"My brother will be fine" she assured her and patted her hand, "Is everything all right?"

"I just miss him" she whispered and looked downcast. Biting her lip in an afterthought, she mumbled, "Sali'ah, can I confide in you?"

"Of course, you're my sister" she smiled in assurance and pushed her plate to the side. "Anything said stays between us."

Iliana hesitated but said, "Kantra's becoming distant with all of these trips. I know his missions are private but he's becoming different over the years and it worries me. He's been acting so quiet these recent months."

"Males here are aggressive, Iliana" Sali'ah reminded her gently and squeezed her hand. "My brother is a male of varying moods but you must remind him of the man you want him to be."

"I have but he dismisses it" she sighed and closed her eyes for a minute. "He leaves on his trips so frequently, sometimes I feel as if I spent no time with him at all and he keeps everything to himself."

"Talk to him, Iliana, get through to him" the older female advised softly. "My brother is devoted deeply to you. He will not displace your feelings over his missions."

"I hope so" she said nimbly and returned to eat her food nervously. "I just have to wait then."

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"Mother, I don't get this" Leitjin called to his mother from the main foyer. He'd been trying to understand his assignment but ended up scratching his head confused. Kahet looked over from the couch where he sat while he played with his silver daggers in content. Leitjin pouted at him, "No fair, you don't have work."

"Grandmother helped me" he grinned smugly. "I finished it yesterday."

Iliana walked in tiredly and sat down on the couch as a dizzy spell hit her suddenly. Placing the back of her hand over her forehead, she closed her eyes quickly and lay back against the couch. Kahet looked at his mother worriedly and rushed to her side to squeeze her hand gently.

"What's wrong?" he asked, fearfully. "Should I call Uncle Ani-De?"

"No, I'll be fine" Iliana said, taking deep breaths to clear her head. "Probably just stress, don't worry."

"Mama!" Leitjin cried and ran to his mother to place his head on her lap. She smiled gratefully and caressed his brown forehead softly. Her youngest always reached for her when he was worried, unlike Kahet who was more attached to his father.

"Will you be okay?" Kahet asked, clicking his throat worriedly. She nodded and wiped her eyes with her hands.

"Mm-hmm" she said and patted his cheek. "Do you think you could help your brother?"

Kahet nodded and grabbed Leitjin's hand while getting up from the couch to lead him back to his study area. The two brothers sat down and went over the assignment quietly to let their mother relax. She smiled thoughtfully for their consideration and rested for a bit.

_I've been feeling nauseous since yesterday_, she thought but then sighed mentally, _Please don't tell me I'm pregnant again!_

"Damn Kantra" she mumbled but smiled gently nonetheless. "My Kantra."

_I'll go see Ani-De tomorrow_, she thought.

Hearing her front door open, she sucked down the queasy feeling in her stomach and stood up to see who it was. Seeing her armor covered mate in the doorway, she sighed in relief and smiled at him. The children spotted him and forgot about their work instantly to go run towards their father to hug him. Their arms wrapped over each of his thick thighs while he unhooked his mask and placed it on the table nearby.

"You're happy, I see?" Kantra greeted his sons and ruffled their hair. Hugging each of them, he asked, "How did you behave while I was gone?"

"Good" Kahet said quickly and glanced at his mother, "Mom's not feeling well."

Kantra instantly stared at his mate who shook her hands at him. Smiling weakly, she said, "I'm fine, just a dizzy spell."

"And you know what my response is" he said, firmly. She nodded and sighed in acknowledgement. Looking at his sons, he said, "All right, you need to let go so I can change. Afterwards, we can talk about what I've missed."

They nodded eagerly and let him go while purring happily to each other. The two boys walked back to the couch to sit on it patiently. Iliana followed Kantra to their bedroom while he stripped off his black armor to place it into his armor storage unit. Seeing two new scars on his green back, she frowned and wondered what life forms he'd tangled with. Walking over to him quietly, she placed her fingers over his wrist gently.

"I'm so glad you're back" she smiled joyously at him. Holding back tears, she faltered, "I've. .I've missed you."

He purred protectively and cupped her cheek, "I've missed you all as well. How long have you been feeling ill?"

"Just yesterday, I'll go see Ani-De later on" she said and wrapped her arms around his waist. Looking up at him, she kissed his chin, "Are you hungry?"

"As always" he chuckled and kissed her softly after many weeks, "I can't wait to mate with you tonight."

_His appetite's still the same_, she thought coyly.

"Me too" she said and kissed his neck playfully, "Are you injured? I have some salve Ani-De gave me, just in case."

"No, I patched up most of my injuries on my ship" he said, dismissing it and stretched his arms. "I'll be fine."

"Good, I don't want any infections to arise or internal injuries" Iliana said, relieved. "How was the mission?"

"I cannot discuss that, Ana" he said firmly, making her look away. "My business is classified."

"I don't care about the mission, I care about you" she admitted softly and traced her fingers down his bare chest, "Did everything go okay for _you_?"

"I suppose" he said carelessly and shrugged. "Nothing important."

"You have two scars on your back, how is-" she began quickly.

"Not your concern" he cut her off sternly with a hiss, "I will wear these scars with pride like my brethren. I am here and that is what matters."

_Why does he cut himself away from me?_, she thought desperately. _I only want to help._

"What matters is my mate's well-being whether physical, emotional, or mental" Iliana stated angrily. "I'm proud of all the scars and trophies you gain, Kantra. But you never tell me if something's wrong so I can help you anymore. Wherever you are, I worry for you."

"I can handle myself, Iliana" Kantra said, rumbling his chest in agitation. "There is no need for your concern."

"No need? I'm constantly worried if you'll return to me and you close yourself off when you do" she said upset, as her hands went over her chest pleadingly. "How am I supposed to react? I can't just wave it off like I don't care."

"Be proud that I've returned and that should be enough for now" he said simply and caressed her face with his fingers. Iliana, however, didn't care for his gesture after what he'd just told her.

_How is that enough?_, she thought sadly. _I need my mate to confide in me, not push me away from what he's experienced._

"I'll go see the children" Kantra told her and exited quietly. Iliana sighed against the wall and placed her hand over her eyes to push back the burning tears that wanted to surface.

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Iliana paced though the main foyer nervously the next day while wringing her dress in her hands. She'd gone to see Ani-De and it had gone exactly as she thought it would. Now, she just had to tell Kantra about the results.

_(Flashback)_

"_You're pregnant" Ani-De said, squeezing her shoulder in congratulations. "A little over six weeks. You always experience late symptoms, most females come here to check themselves after mating with their mates but not you."_

"_You know me, I'm modest and I'd rather do it this way" Iliana chuckled softly. "I still retain some human mannerisms."_

"_I suppose but at least you came" he smiled and scribbled something down in his notes. "Are you ready for your next little one?"_

"_I've been teaching for a month, I can't possibly keep teaching while having a suckling in my arms" she pointed out in dismay. "I'll have to stop and the children will probably think I couldn't handle it. As for my training, Nak-De finally took the spear in his butt out and agreed to train me! Nak-De, the most sought out trainer and I'm going to have to tell him I can't! Do you've any idea how that's going to turn out? With his temper?!"_

"_Just tell him he's going to be an uncle" Ani-De said, waving it off humorously. "He'll be happy."_

"_He may be your twin but he's the complete opposite!" she exclaimed. "He'll probably ignore me for a year!"_

"_You'll be fine, just let me talk to him" he said, calming her down by soothing her trembling hand. "Just look over yourself and tell Kantra. Ignore everyone else, they don't matter."_

"_But Leitjin will be alone if I stop teaching" she said softly. "He's so shy in class and the kids barely talk to him. I don't want others treating him different. Kahet's had it so hard-"_

"_He's been a strong pup since birth" Ani-De assured her but understood her motherly sentiment. "But he has to learn to live life just like his brother. We guide them but they must experience their own life and mold it to their needs."_

"_You're right" she nodded and patted her flat stomach, "Be a girl."_

"_Afraid of sibling rivalry again?" he laughed softly and she glared. "Never mind."_

Hearing Kantra enter the house with their two children, she smiled instantly at them. The two youngsters ran inside to hug their mother before heading to their respective rooms to prepare to go to sleep. Their father had taken the two to play with Aru'Dre who had been driving his father insane with tantrums. After two hours of play, the seven year old was happily asleep while his cousins were drained.

"Can we talk?" Iliana asked Kantra apprehensively.

"Of course" he nodded quickly and walked over to her. "But I must be at the office in an hour to go over my findings with Sau-Trul and write up some reports."

"But you just returned yesterday" she said in surprise and furrowed her eyebrows, "How long will you take?"

"I'm not sure but I'll be back late" he sighed at her startled face. "Please don't argue with me, I can't do anything about it."

"Of course you can, you can take a break between your assignments and dedicate more time to your family" she said, furious. "You've barely slept here one day and you're already away the next day? You have to be a little tired from your trip, why can't you stay here and relax a bit?"

"These are my responsibilities, I've gotten used to it over the years" he said, shrugging easily. "Why can't you?"

_Why must she argue about this every time?_, he thought.

"Because I want to spend time with the man I love, not spend months in my bed alone wondering if you'll return safely" Iliana choked out while her eyes filled with tears. "And when you do, you're away from here and I'm expected to be happy about it?!"

"We've been over this many times, you knew my rank would require this of me" Kantra hissed in irritation despite his mate's upset state. "I am coping with it in order to see this through and make it easier for us."

"This is _your_ rank, what am I getting out of it?" she demanded angrily as her hands curled into fists at her sides. "You get to rise above everyone and I'm left by myself with our children while you travel the universe non-stop! How is being away from us for months constantly making it easier?"

"You promised to support me on this years ago, why do you bring this up now?" Kantra growled in frustration at her. "I told you we would have difficult times so stop this argument. We've never had problems before so don't start any."

"And you promised that you'd never leave me alone in the dark while you rejoined your people in a prestigious rank" she whispered and wiped her eyes. Her chest felt compressed while her heart felt as if it were being squeezed. "You promised to never hurt me or push me aside as long as you were here. You. . .you're changing into someone colder and it's breaking my heart over time. I. .I can't. . .I miss you and every time I think you've returned home to me, you're gone within days whether it's on another level here or a planet who knows where! How am I supposed to connect to you when you're gone?"

_Why can't he understand what I'm telling him?_, she thought frantically. _I love him but he's closed himself off from me for a while. I'm proud of his accomplishments but I don't want them at the cost of him changing into someone else._

"I have never left you alone, I've given you everything that you'd possibly need" Kantra said sharply as well as surprised at her outburst. "You're safe with me and I return to you alive. Why would you think anything else?"

"Material things mean nothing to me" she pointed out and sighed, "You're the only thing I've ever needed and I've always understood your need to be respected but not at this price. I want my grouchy, smart-alecky, sarcastic, and caring mate, not this distant and humorless man you're turning into. Please, stop overworking yourself and stay with me so we can catch up on what you've missed all these months."

_I'm doing this to protect them all_, he thought in disappointment. _Are her feelings for me changing? How am I different from before? I feel perfectly fine._

"We will talk another day, Iliana" he said, coldly. "I need to finish my task."

She nodded stiffly and watched him leave in tense movements. Taking a deep breath when the door closed, she murmured sadly, "Surprise, I'm pregnant."

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End of **Chapter 10**. The road turns a little dark for the wonder couple, doesn't it? Thanks for reading and review please. Also, thanks to my last reviewers!


	11. No More Tears, My Shining Star

CHAPTER 11:

**No More Tears, My Shining Star**

A month later, things had not become easier as Kantra drove himself into his work mercilessly and Iliana stopped asking questions regarding his profession. Sau-Trul became surprised himself when his assistant spent more hours on the Arbitrator's level than he. Telling his mate about it, Sali'ah kept talking to Iliana about it but it seemed she'd fallen into a depression over it. She gave up her teaching position and spent most of her time tending to her children while spending most of her nights alone. And when Kantra did spend a night there, he'd go to sleep after her and leave before she woke. The arguments ended but tension between the two grew over time. Iliana then began to question her connection to her yautja mate but pushed arising negative thoughts away before she hurt herself more emotionally.

Eventually, Bai'Kar interfered in the situation at hand, especially with her being the most wise and respected female on board. That and the fact that she didn't want her son upset and his mate depressed after all they've been through over the years. Currently, she sat next to Iliana in the main room while the children were at play with Sali'ah. Her green eyes scanned Iliana's melancholy form wearing a long dress with a shawl wrapped over her arms for warmth despite the hot temperature.

"Iliana, what is wrong?" she asked, grabbing the younger woman's hands into hers. "Talk to me, I won't judge you in any way."

"No matter what I say or do, he still leaves" she whispered and looked away with her darker eyes. "I hate it."

"Why does he leave?" Bai'Kar asked gently. Iliana shook her head as her mind shielded itself again but saw green eyes peer into her own. Green eyes similar to her beloved mate's. "Why do you think it is so?"

"Because I don't like these trips he's taking" she answered timidly. She could never lie or keep silent against the older female, she had a maternal aura that made everyone comfortable and open around her. Sighing, Iliana said, "He's barely home and when he is, he's gone off to another level. I. .I feel as if I can't connect with him as I used to as time flows."

"Connect to him how?" she purred and smoothed Iliana's unkempt hair. Bai'Kar had never seen her in this manner before. Usually, she was headstrong and happy towards everyone, not this gloomy and quiet female before her.

_What the hell has my son done now?_, Bai'Kar thought bitterly.

"Humans need to feel an emotional connection to their mate and I felt that ever since we were on Earth" Iliana whispered softly as she looked down. With a sad smile, she said, "He drove me insane with his attitude but I loved him because of it. Over the years, our connection strengthened but when these long trips started, I didn't like it."

_Why couldn't he have just stayed with us a little longer?_, she thought sullenly.

"Eventually, his trips became longer and longer" she continued and felt tears leak down her cheeks again. Bai'Kar sighed in sympathy and embraced her unstable form. "I understood that his missions were to himself, they always have been and I've had no problem with that, but he closed himself about how his experiences affected him until he'd ignore the topic completely. I always made him feel better to make sure it didn't affect him when he used to travel before but. . .I guess he doesn't need me for that anymore. He's shut me out and I can't seem to reach him. He has his work to comfort him now upstairs, instead of me."

"These trips are the problem then?" Bai'Kar asked her. Iliana didn't answer her. "Iliana?"

"I think I'm losing him" she whimpered and wiped her eyes quickly. "I love him with my very being and I would die for him but. .he's colder now. I can talk and if I say something he doesn't like, the conversation ends and he leaves. My Kantra would've laughed it off and changed the topic easily without a change in demeanor. I wanted him to reach his dreams but not at this outcome. I . .I don't want my sons to have a cold father and for my baby to-"

"You're pregnant?" Bai'Kar asked instantly and she nodded. "Does he know?"

"No, I was going to tell him but we always got into an argument before I could" she sighed and touched her stomach with her palm. "I don't want anything to happen to it because of my erratic emotions but I can't control them. Every time I think about him or the baby, I feel this gloomy wave wash over me."

"Iliana, I'm going to have Ani-De prescribe something for you while I go talk to my mate" she informed and hugged her tightly. "You'll be all right along with the suckling. I take care of my family, even if I have to intervene to do it."

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"And the case onboard-" Kantra was informing the Arbitrator when their locked door had a green fist punch cleanly through it and two hands then ripped the metal door open as if it were thin paper. "What the-"

"Kantra!" his father's voice growled as he walked through the newly made hole in Sau-Trul's office.

_Did my father just tear through a door?_, he thought in disbelief.

"Leader Nak'Aru, you can't-" Sau-Trul began while his eyes glanced at the open gap.

"Out!" Nak'Aru snapped angrily and pointed to him.

"But-"

"Do I have to drag you from your cape like a pup or will you go willingly?" he hissed dangerously. Sau-Trul nodded and left quickly without a word. Turning to his son, he began, "Why have you neglected your duties as a mate?"

_Did Iliana complain to him?_, he thought quickly.

"What are you talking about? We are perfectly fine" Kantra said, casually. Then furrowed his brows, "However, I do not appreciate you ripping a door in half in-"

Nak'Aru walked over to his son and growled loudly, "Are you ordering me?! Last time I checked, I held a rank much higher than yours as well as being your sire! Must I knock sense into you?"

"I apologize" Kantra sighed and dipped his head respectfully. "I was out of line. Why are you here, father?"

"Your mother is concerned over your mate's well-being" he stated tensely. "Iliana is distressed over your demeanor towards her. As her mate, you know that you should never upset her-"

"But she can't upset me?" Kantra interrupted swiftly and busied himself with a tablet. "I am trying to reach my rank as Arbitrator but she does not understand the obstacles I must go through to reach it. I return to the Ade'k'ra safely but she still demands more-"

"Your mate needs _you_, she does not care about your status" Nak'Aru said tersely and yanked the tablet away from his son. "Your mate is ooman and her behavior will always be different from ours. No matter the species, you must please your mate to your fullest extent. Oomans are emotional beings and you've failed in your responsibilities to fulfill it. Have you not noticed the changes in your female?"

_I know she's emotional, she always is recently_, Kantra thought grumpily. _Just because we argue doesn't mean I've failed her. People argue all the time, it's normal._

Kantra rumbled his chest in annoyance but nodded, "She doesn't want me taking long trips but I must in order to finish my requirements for rank, father. Surely, you must understand my point of view towards this?"

"Yes, I do understand that you want to better yourself in this clan" his father agreed but shook his head afterwards, "But is it worth possibly ruining your ties with Iliana? I've been with your mother for more than a century and I would never put anything before her or my offspring. Rank is very important here, Kantra, but is it worth losing the ones you care for? The ones you're doing all of this for? Do you want your rank to be held higher than your life partner? It's like weaponry, if you polish one constantly and ignore the other, one weapon will be sharp and ready while the other rusts and becomes useless. You must learn to balance both things, not hold one in high priority and forsake the other. "

_How can I lose my mate? She's always there for me_, he thought. _Although. . ._

"Do you think it's leading to that path?" Kantra asked quietly and sat down in a chair. "I don't want to lose Iliana, we've been together for almost ten years and nothing has caused problems before this."

"Over the years, traveling can put strain on a relationship, especially with a being like Iliana" Nak'Aru told his son while he sat down next to him. "Remind your mate that she is not losing you and stop taking so many trips. Assure her nothing will happen and speak to her about your expectations as well as hers. I am sure Sau-Trul will agree to extend each trip, you only have four more years to finish."

"What if those last four ruin everything? I can't lose her!" Kantra said quickly and curled his hands into fists on his lap. His mind felt as if it were being tugged in two directions, with neither side winning. "I don't want to extend my training but I can't damage my Iliana further."

"Put your priorities in order, Kantra" his father said firmly and patted his back. "Your mate aided you when you were disgraced and left her own planet to be with you. These changes in you over the years could turn you into a stranger to her and no one wants to realize they've given up everything to be with someone who wasn't meant to be with them in the end."

_Is he implying something?_, Kantra though angrily.

"We are meant to be!" he stated fiercely with a growl. "I don't want her in fear of me. I am meant to protect her from those who could cause her harm and I will not turn into one of them."

"Then go to her and tell her that" his father advised and stood up. "I suggest you both have a long talk but do not aggravate her, she is in no condition to worsen herself."

_What? Is her health an issue now?_, Kantra thought fearfully. _Have I shut her out that much?_

"Is something wrong with her?" he asked quickly and went to his father's side. "Tell me."

"Nothing is wrong but she's pregnant, Kantra" his father informed him calmly. His son looked at him in surprise and nodded quietly. "I suggest you go now."

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Kantra walked into his home quickly and began searching for his mate. Why in the world did he decide to ignore her now? He should've seen this coming over the past year but he was too much into his work to be concerned. Finding his mate in their bedroom, he suddenly felt nervous in approaching her. Her form lay on the bed in rest while her hand clutched a book in a soft grasp. Another book lay scattered next to her with open pages. Walking into the room silently, he sat down on the bed gently to not wake her and grabbed the open book into his hand quietly. He recognized it as one of the first journals she kept with her on Earth and the other in her grasp came from the ones she kept now. He looked at her serene face and sighed in relief that she was resting, instead of stressed.

_Because of me_, he thought regretfully. _What have I done to you, Ana? You're usually resilient to most of the things I do._

He looked at the book he held and read the entry the page contained:

_March 21, 1985_

_So my partner in crime decided to tell me his tale and I told mine in return. It was pretty bad, especially since he kept himself closed off about it constantly. I guess he realized that I do trust him completely and maybe he'll think the same of me. It was pretty nice of him to steal breakfast for us too. I love that cloaking thing he does, despite it scared the crap out of me when he was after me. But now. . .to be honest, he's growing on me. Yes, he's from another planet and a __completely__ different being, most would call me insane for my thoughts and behavior but. . .I like Kantra. He challenges and protects me, his kind probably wouldn't give a rat's ass about me but he does. He's there for me despite my complaints and even tries to get rid of me so I can be safe, but I'm not leaving him alone with all of this. Everything he does for me makes my respect grow towards him. Besides, his little flirts are a good mood lifter and I think he tried to come onto me today. Not that I minded. He's my escape from the reality I'm living and I want to stay by his side until the end of all this._

_P.S. He just made a horrible attempt at making a tent and wrapped it around himself instead so now I have to fix it. He's so cute when he gets confused and angry._

Kantra smiled at her written thoughts and went to the end of the book to read the last entry. He was surprised at her thoughts toward him back then because they matched his perfectly despite their differences. The years went by surprisingly fast when he thought about it. Finding the last page, he read it.

_October something 1985, I lost count!, _

_I'm around six months pregnant now and my little one's decided to begin a kicking party inside me. Despite the annoyance, it makes me feel closer to my baby. Kantra likes to purr at the child so it'll calm him down inside. Surprisingly, it works too! Women on Earth would love this! I'm still surprised there's a little part of me growing inside making Kantra very overprotective of me. Being a first time father, he wants to make sure everything goes perfectly fine with the baby and I. He's like a mother bear tending to my every whim, which I don't like and pointed it out by making him do impossible tasks. But we're happy despite our little tantrums towards each other. His people may not like me much here but as long as I have him, I don't care. They can go to hell for their thoughts, I know I'm different and shouldn't be here, but I am and I plan to stay. Kantra and my child are the most important things to me now that I've left my planet and I plan to be there for them for as long as it takes. Oops, Kantra came in now and is looking at me with that crazy grin of his since he knows I went to Ani-De today to find out the gender of my baby. It's a boy! But I won't tell him that yet, I'll tease him a little before that._

Next to the last entry page, Iliana had placed a small printout of her ultrasound of Kahet. Kantra picked it up gently and remembered the day she told him it was a boy. He'd practically danced with pride and both had kept it a secret from the family until Kahet had been born. Now, she was pregnant with another child of his.

_Let my little one stay safe inside its mother_, Kantra thought and closed the book.

He placed the book back on the bed and gently took away the one in her hand. His mate simply curled up more and sighed gently as she kept sleeping. He flipped through the book to see the recent entry in her journal.

_I don't like to pry into her personal things but I need to know what she thinks now_, he thought as he sighed mentally. _Her entries were happy years ago._

_Year 10, mid-cycle_

_Kantra left today to go to work early as usual. He doesn't even see me anymore and usually eats his morning meal on the way to his office. He stays there most of the day so I still make sure he's eaten well when he leaves. I miss talking to him in the morning, I feel like a stranger in his bed lately. He's gone before I wake and it tears at my heart to know he's mere inches from me and I can't touch him without feeling nervous at how he'd react. It's almost as if he's the same man I met years ago when he hunted me. Bai'Kar came to see me and I had to tell her, I didn't want to, but I'm so tired of fighting. I just want it to end. Everywhere I walk, I feel alone and trapped in a world of shadow because I realize the only person that made me feel at home seems to not care much for me anymore. Every sentence I utter either ends in an argument or with him leaving. I try to stay strong for my babies but every time he pushes back, I think I'm losing any hope of getting my old mate back. I don't know how long I can take this before. . .I don't want to lose my beloved at all. I just can't._

He sighed and closed the book in disbelief. His father was correct after all. He was pushing away his mate for many months over the years. She saw it easily but he ignored it which he rarely did but. . .

_This position is taking too much from me_, he thought bitterly. _I will not upset my mate, especially now that she's carrying my child. Oomans are so emotional and I will not ruin hers by being cold anymore. I will not be like most of the males in my clan and ignore sentimentality._

Kantra traced his claws gently through his mate's unruly hair and felt his throat tighten. He missed her despite not showing her much affection as of late, which she needed due to her humanity. Everything he did was to ensure both their safeties and his stature among the clan but he had been selfish by not taking her concerns into consideration. He always did that in the past but he'd been ignoring most of her worries over passing years. As a male, he'd thought they'd leave quickly like with yautja females but he was wrong. He sighed and leaned down to rest his forehead over her shoulder to feel her soft skin under his.

_I haven't felt her skin against mine since. . .last month when I arrived_, he thought forlornly. _We had a fight the next day._

Iliana shifted around and he instantly backed away to give her room to either wake or keep sleeping. However, she woke up due to the fact that she spent most of her time sleeping during the day due to her depression while staying awake longer at night. She wiped her eyes and hazily stared over her bed until she noticed Kantra. Looking away, she grabbed her books and tried to get up from the bed but he stopped her.

"I won't get in your way" she said quietly and avoided his gaze. "You can sleep if you need to and the food's in-"

"I don't care about that, it's you that I need to see" he said, grabbing her hands into his but she tensed at the contact. With a small sigh, he said, "Iliana, I am sorry for being so rude towards you. I have failed you as your mate and everything I've promised you. You have every right to be upset with me and I apologize."

She stared at him in silence and hesitated, "You're serious? Look, if your parents put you up to this-"

"They knocked sense into me, I have neglected you and this is not what I've wanted for us" Kantra said, squeezing her hands. She looked down and returned a small squeeze to his hands. "You're meant to be happy and at peace within your own home and around me. You're. . .I'm not worthy to be your mate after ignoring your sentiments for this long."

"Yes, you are" she whispered and looked at him sadly, "But as the man I mated to before you kept leaving. I love you despite everything, you're why I'm here and I need you. You promised to always be there for me, that nothing and no one would ever separate us, but you're the one doing it. You're closing yourself away from me and I feel alone without you."

_I've practically broken every promise_, he thought darkly.

"You're right but I can't give up my rank, Iliana" he said softly as she nodded timidly. He traced his palm over her cheek to say, "I'll stop these trips until we fix this, I won't have you upset and unhappy like this. I'll fix it, whatever you ask of me, I'll do it."

"I just want you home with us" she sobbed quietly and wrapped her arms over his neck. He held her back tightly, afraid that she'd disappear out of his life and it scared him. "I don't want you to change into someone else who's darker and colder. Otherwise, you'd be no better than the aggressive hunters that live onboard. I've had nightmares about this new you so many times and it scares me. I don't want to love someone who can't connect with me anymore."

"I love you, I always have" he spoke firmly and traced his fingers over her cheek while her tears moistened his neck. "Nothing will ever change that fact and I will never give you up. Everything I've done is for you and our children, there is nothing more important to me than all of you."

"I wish you would tell me these things" she said, digging her face into the crook of his neck. She'd missed the physical contact of his body against hers after many lonely weeks. "You've always been very open with me despite your usual male pride. But when you started traveling long distances, you became quiet and I've been used to helping you de-stress from missions. When you began to push me away, I tried to fix it but it got worse and you-"

"I know, I know" Kantra soothed and sighed into her hair. "In trying to keep my dealings to myself, I pushed you away. I would've never done that if I knew this would happen."

"We've always had our arguments but this was too much for me" she admitted as she felt at ease against his warm skin. "I hate arguing with you like this lately. I feel so small and inferior when you get angry at me now. I'm human, Kantra, and I can't change that. I will be emotional but it's only because I love you and I want to share your pain and happiness. We've been together too long and I won't give up on you, even if it destroys me. You've known that since I met you and I will always see that to the end."

_There can be no one more devoting than her_, he thought gratefully. _Why did I hurt her so much?_

"I will change into the mate that you want me to be" he said softly and promised himself to never upset her again. She was his only love and he would not extinguish that flame. "I am sorry that I strayed away from the man you fell in love with. I cannot give up my assignments but I will extend them to keep you happy. I've missed you and I want you to be happy again, don't despair because of me. You are my shining star whenever I am near or far from you so never let that beautiful glow leave your face, my Iliana. You should always know all of this and remember it, it'll never change over time."

She squeezed him again and sniffled softly, "Thank you for listening to me. Sometimes I need you to keep reminding me that so I can be assured. You and the kids are my connection to this world. If I lose you, who will I look to for support? You're my soul mate, Kantra, and I never want to lose that connection with you. I know I'm stubborn but it's only because I care so much for you but I understand the things you do, it's in your genes and I can't stop it. I just hope you understand my reasoning for what I say."

The two stayed silent in each other's arms for minutes while assessing what had just happened. Iliana felt better at knowing he understood a little of how she felt now and she understood what he'd been trying to do for her sake. Kantra held his quiet mate and hoped he'd at least made it better for her to recover and come out of her gloomy outlook.

"I love you, always" he purred to her gently and placed his forehead over hers. She smiled meekly at him and he rumbled his chest against hers to keep her calm. "Ever since you took me to that cabin on Earth, I've belonged to you. . . I also know you're pregnant."

_He what?_, she thought quickly. _Will he scold me for not taking better care of myself?_

"The baby's fine so far" Iliana informed him and intertwined her fingers over her stomach. "I was going to tell you a month ago but that's when. .well, you started ignoring me."

Kantra grabbed one of her shaky hands into his and held it gently. Oh, how he missed her fingertips roaming over any part of his body. Smiling at her, he asked, "How far along are you?"

_He smiled at me!_, she thought pleased._ He hasn't done that in weeks._

"Over two months" she said, while one corner of her mouth went into a small smile. Iliana grabbed his hand and placed it over her flat stomach as he purred gently to their child. "I'd really like a girl this time but who knows?"

"You deserve everything you ask for, my star" he said, rubbing his cheek against hers. "I should let you rest. I wanted to speak to you and found you like this making me want to wait but. . ."

"It's fine, you're talking to me and that's what matters" she stated and smiled gently at him. Looking over at her journals, she raised an eyebrow, "Where you reading my journals?"

"Yes, I saw them and I read some pages to get an insight to what you've been thinking this last year" he responded, a little ashamed. "I didn't read all of them."

"My thoughts are yours" she forgave him gently. "I'll always be here with whatever you need."

"As will I and I'm sorry I forgot that" he nodded firmly to her. "Is there anything you need right now?"

"Just hold me and stay with me" she whispered, holding him again. "You're all I need and I have it."

Kantra moved the journals to the side carefully as Iliana laid back onto the bed on her side. Knocking off his sandals and taking off his mesh, he joined her afterwards on his side to face her. He wrapped his arms around her to make her feel safe and to assure himself that they were mending their shaky path. She curled up against him in a fetal position and rested her head on his arm while her legs went underneath one of his. He watched her fall asleep as he stroked her hair with his free hand and smiled.

"Stay with me forever until the stars themselves die" he whispered and fell asleep later.

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"How do you feel today?" Kantra asked softly as Iliana finished fixing their morning meal on the table.

It was three months later and Kantra had stayed with his family for that amount of time to make sure his mate was ensured that he would do anything for her and to stabilize his family as well. Iliana knew it once his old personality traits came back and the quiet and distant male he used to be was gone. Her depression was gone with his aid and Ani-De's over the months so her baby would be in no problem due to it. However, in two months, he'd go on a trip but he'd assured her that he wouldn't close himself up and she could coddle him as much as she wanted when he returned.

"Dandy, I threw up but that's expected" Iliana sighed and stroked her pregnant stomach. "The baby didn't like some veggies I tried. Are the boys awake yet?"

"They're getting dressed" he informed and embraced his mate from behind. She chuckled at his gesture and rested her back against his warm body. Placing his chin on the top of her head, he said, "This one makes your body hectic, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does" she chuckled and trailed her fingertips over the green stripes on his toned arms. "As long as it stays safe, I don't care. I just hope you still find me attractive despite my body looks as big as a ship."

"No, it does not!" Kantra objected and squeezed her softly while letting out a purr of comfort. "Your body always drives me wild, even when pregnant. Knowing that you're carrying my suckling makes me love you even more, if that's even possible."

"Thanks, love" she smiled as his hand stroked her growing stomach. "And this suckling proves my attraction towards you."

"I am very attractive, aren't I?" he grinned smugly as he gave her a sly look. She laughed and shook her head. "What?"

"I missed hearing you talk like that months ago" she admitted and turned around to trace her hand over his cheek. "I love my arrogant mate. You make me happy."

"I'm not arrogant, I'm just honest" he joked and placed his forehead against hers. "I'll do anything to keep you happy, my mate. I'm glad you're smiling like you used to."

"And I'm glad you're here to see the boys off to school" she said cheekily and he uttered a small groan. "No buts, this is your week. I did mines last week and besides, the beds need to be changed and I don't want you sleeping in again. I'm not strong enough to pull you out of the bed by your arm."

"But I like sleeping" he mumbled and bit her nose playfully.

"Yautjas don't sleep as long as humans do" she reminded as she stared into his bright green eyes. "Ever since we left Earth, you like to sleep longer."

"As long as my brethren don't complain, I don't care" he said and bit her top lip gently. "Besides, I like sleeping in so I can stay close and annoy you."

"That sounds like you, all right" she said with a smile and pulled one of his black dreads for fun. "Bad Kantra."

"Ow! Why the hair?" he whimpered and caressed his sore scalp. Closing his mandibles to give her a pout, she giggled and soothed his head with her fingertips. Tilting his head to her touch, he purred in content and nipped at her cheek. In a silky tone, he stated, "I've missed mating you, Iliana."

"So have I, but I want to wait" she said, looking down. He cupped her cheek and made eye contact with her while her fingers trailed down his temple. "I want to be sure this whole thing can be put behind us completely so we can be together again."

"I will wait for you, I will never pressure you" he said with a nod and nipped her lips softly with his teeth. "I love you."

"I know, maybe by then I can stop hurling all this food the baby hates" she grumbled and gave him a small smile, "Also, I want to mate with you all night long so build up your stamina."

"I'm ever ready, all you need is ask" he trilled and traced a mandible over her cheek as his warm breath tickled her lips. "If it wasn't for my self-control, I'd have you on this table while I impale you over and over-"

"Stop giving me those thoughts!" she scolded and flicked her fingers over one of his brow ridges. "It's bad enough my stomach's big and my feet hurt. I don't need you and your naughtiness making my hormones crazier."

"Don't you just love that about me?" he asked innocently and winked. Her face lost her scold and she gave him an appreciative smile. "Why don't we go to the gardens after the beds are done? The scents there may help your nausea."

_He's always looking after me when I'm pregnant_, she thought. _Flowers help but. . ._

"Nah, let's go eat in the mess hall" she said, after a quick thought. "The baby likes raw meat. I think it'll turn out just like you. It likes fruit and meat, but hates veggies."

"Oh, I like that" Kantra purred and thumped his chest proudly. "Kantra the Second."

"Not gonna happen" she said, bursting his bubble. "It sounds human, I want my babies with yautja names. Who said it's a boy anyway?"

"We've had nothing but boys" he pointed out and nodded decisively, "I'm positive it'll be a male and one hell of a male!"

"Just because you say so doesn't make it true" she said and patted his green cheek. He grunted but smiled back. "We only have four months before it arrives. I can't wait to hold our new child."

"And I'll be there to make sure everything goes well" he assured and squeezed her shoulders. She nodded but still held a look of concern. "Nothing will happen like it did with Leitjin."

"Nothing is certain" she said softly and pressed her cheek over his chest. "But I am glad you've taken on this human tradition to see our children born just for me."

"As long as I don't change diapers for a year, I'm more than happy" Kantra laughed and kissed her before she could retort. She returned it happily and felt his chest rumble against hers. His ears picked up two pairs of footsteps so he let go of her and patted her bottom lightly.

"Kantra" she laughed and squeezed his hand in affection.

Their two sons ran into the room and immediately sat down on the table to eat. They both wore their clean tunics after taking a shower every morning to stay fresh. Their hair was still wet so Iliana was usually the one to tie up their hair to make sure they looked presentable while they gobbled their food down.

"Morning to all" Leitjin said happily while his brother just waved and ate.

"What are you doing in class today?" Kantra asked his sons. He sat down to eat his own meal while Iliana sipped something to calm her stomach.

"Boring stuff" Kahet sighed and looked at his father. "When can I begin my Chiva training? It feels like forever!"

"Not until you're fourteen" he chuckled as his son sulked. "Learn what you can now."

"But it's useless" he grumbled and took a bite of his food. His emerald eyes half-closed while his wet hair fell over his shoulders. "How is watching a display of the first organisms of our world going to help me hunt?"

"That sounds pretty brutal" Kantra agreed, making a face. "I don't blame you. I hated learning, I was so happy when I began training. Perfect bliss." At seeing his son get more depressed, he quickly stated, "But learning can also open up new ideas on how to explore worlds when you visit them one day."

"Unless those organisms help me hunt, I don't care about it" Kahet said but smiled at his parent. "So you hated school too when you were my age?"

"Hated? I tried to hide every morning but my father usually found me" his father said with a grin in remembrance. "Either that or your Uncle Aru'Kar squealed on me. I was usually in class with wrinkled clothes and an angry scowl due to getting a cold shower as punishment."

"Ouch" Leitjin added in, making his father laugh again.

"Be glad you have a mother who makes sure you're clean and ready to go in the morning" Kantra said, smiling at his mate. "How she does it is past me. If I was a female, I don't think I'd survive a day, especially if I was pregnant one. We're lucky to have her."

"It still doesn't make school better" Kahet said but smiled at his mother. "Do I still get lunch?"

"Of course" she said gently, getting up to brush each of her sons hair. She began with Kahet who barely fidgeted and left her younger son last, whom was always moving around or forgetting something to put in his bag. Brushing a palm-sized round brush over his brown hair, she said, "I don't see why you hated it. I loved school since I was a little girl. I would've stayed in school forever if my parents hadn't told me to find a profession before getting too old."

"Loved? School?!" both Kahet and Kantra exclaimed. "Impossible!"

"Not everyone's like you" she said, sticking her nose in the air defiantly. "There's some of us who strive to succeed academically no matter what and love it. Besides, there were no open positions for intergalactic hunting on my world."

"I like school" Leitjin admitted, making her smile wider.

"You always drove me insane with your intellect when we met and still do" Kantra told her. Then to himself, "You keep getting smarter even now! I bonded myself to a scholar. Father always said the best I could do was a simple child bearer and here I am. Hah!"

"And I thought I'd marry a medic but here I am with a crazy soon-to-be Arbitrator" she smiled and winked in return. Then to her children, "Mate to a person who accepts you for what you're like, not your rank."

"I don't want to be with a girl, they're icky!" Leitjin exclaimed and Kahet nodded in agreement.

"Now, but one day, you won't live without them" Kantra laughed and purred at his mate who blushed.

"Etiquette, Kantra!" she scolded making him growl instead.

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Over the passing months, Kantra and Iliana reestablished their old selves in their relationship and got over that rough bump in life. Iliana understood the need for his travels and he compromised with Sau-Trul to only take the important ones and to forget the optional ones for rank. He'd rather spend his time with his growing family than at a desolate planet that held no one he cared for. The couple had become stable and made sure to keep their connection and communication with each other open so none would feel ignored or unappreciated. Now, they just had to await the arrival of their new child in the med bay.

"So why are we here again?" Leitjin asked his brother. He didn't like being apart from his mother, even if she did have to give birth to his sibling. He also didn't want the new baby taking all of his mother's attention away from him. He sat on the floor with a lonely look while Kahet was used to the situation.

"Mother's having the baby which means we must wait" Kahet sighed and looked up at his grandmother, "Do you know what it is?"

"It's a girl!" Nak'Aru announced, entering the room in high spirits which was rare for him. Bai'Kar stared in surprise but smiled afterwards at her mate who practically glided over the floor in joy. "Finally, after six grandchildren, I have a granddaughter!"

"Don't let Aru'Kar hear you, he'll think you don't like his new son" Bai'Kar teased her mate playfully.

"It's a girl" Kila said, jumping happily. "Can I baby-sit? I'm fifteen now, I can look after children!"

"No, she'll spoil her and pick on us" Kahet complained quickly. She hissed and he growled back. "Girls stick together, it's not good!"

On the level below theirs in the medical wing, Iliana held a sleeping newborn girl in her arms. The child held olive skin with light green shades around the arms, legs, and face that would develop later on. Her hair was brown like Iliana's while her closed eyes were a forest green. Iliana smiled tiredly but happily that her daughter was safe with no complications, unlike Leitjin years ago.

"She looks ooman" Kantra said surprised but proud nonetheless. He'd expected a son but was surprised that his mate had delivered a daughter instead.

_No matter, I have my first daughter_, he thought fondly. _A little girl. And when she grows, I'll break any males trying to woo her._

"Hybrids are unexplored territory" Ani-De pointed out as he scribbled into his notes as usual. "Maybe her genetics took after the mother like your sons took after you."

"She has yautja traits though" Iliana reminded her mate. "Our boys don't have any human ones."

"It's doesn't matter" Kantra shrugged it off and caressed her cheek. "As long as you're both safe with me."

"Have you decided on a name?" his brother asked curiously.

"You choose it, Ana, I thought I would have a son so I only chose male names" Kantra said, sitting down on a chair in a small sulk. Iliana smiled at his antics and looked down at her child.

"Aloun'Da" she announced and held her newborn closer. Kantra nodded in approval while Ani-De wrote the name down in his tablet. "My beautiful Aloun'Da."

"Just like her mother" Kantra purred deeply and ran his mandibles down her cheeks. She smiled and kissed him while he did that.

"I'll leave you two alone" Ani-De said, not wanting to intrude and left.

"Yautjas worship their mating skills but have no flair for romance whatsoever" Iliana pointed out simply and sighed. "I hope my kids will do better."

"I did good, I attained you as a mate" Kantra objected quickly making her smile. "I did all sorts of crazy things for your attention and I was an alien. I should be the idol for intergalactic love!"

"Sought my attention as prey, friend, or mate?" she grinned cheekily at him while he rumbled his chest in annoyance. "There is no other who could compare himself to you, Kantra. Not in a hundred years."

"And I will keep it that way" he assured and pressed his cheek against hers.

"As for the idol, you're mine and I'm not a woman who shares what's hers" Iliana said and kissed him while he wore a silly grin in pride. With a sly look, she said, "Males here may have more than one mate but you're _never_ getting another-"

"I would never think of it!" he said in fake indignation and grinned, "You're more than enough for me in body and mind, Ana. Who could ever handle a duo like us?"

"You're right, they'd run out the door at our first argument" she chuckled and kissed his cheek softly. Aloun'Da shifted in her arms gently and both parents gave her a loving look. "Our first daughter, this will be so exciting once she's at home."

"And here I thought it was a male" he said and sighed dramatically. "I suppose the new toys will go to my brother's new son."

"You're such a silly baby" Iliana giggled softly as he nuzzled his face against hers. "Hmm, I love you, Kantra."

"Sleep, my shining star" he smiled proudly and took their sleeping daughter from her arms. Iliana smiled back kindly and closed her eyes for some much needed sleep. "Forever isn't long enough for us but we'll make do with what we're given."

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End of **Chapter 11**. And the lovers patched themselves over time but is their struggle over? Only five more chapters till the end of this little story now. Also, thanks for my last reviewers as always. Thanks for reading and review, please!


	12. My World Is Yours

CHAPTER 12:

**My World Is Yours  
**

"We've landed!" Kahet's happy voice rang throughout their home. "Father, we're here!"

The eleven year-old boy scanned the main foyer eagerly for any sign of his family while looking out their main window. He'd been looking out of it throughout the whole landing procedure of the Ade'k'ra on their home planet wholeheartedly. He remembered his father's stories about it since childhood and he took in the beautiful red-orange sky that overlooked the tropical jungle land that seemed naturally untamed but held beautiful structures that formed a city in the far distance. He couldn't wait to plant his feet onto the strange planet that was the home of his ancestors.

Kantra walked up to the window as Leitjin hung over his back nervously and smiled proudly, "This is our homeworld. I haven't seen it in twenty years but it's still the same. Take a good look at it while you're here for these few months because you won't see it again until you're adults."

"I'll be a Young Blood by then" Kahet trilled happily at his father who nodded back.

"Daddy!" a young voice cried out to Kantra. He turned to see his one year-old daughter walk up to him clumsily in fear, "Scary!"

She grabbed one of his legs tightly and whimpered against it as she closed her eyes. Iliana followed her and sighed at him, "I tried to console her while the ship landed. It's just something new she's scared of."

"It's all right, nothing will harm you, my little one" he assured and patted her round head. She closed her green eyes and stayed in her spot nonetheless. Kantra smiled at his small daughter and looked at his family, "In a few hours, you'll get to see new places. Won't that be fun?"

"And our new home!" Kahet said excitedly as his father smiled.

"I don't want a new home, I like this one" Leitjin grumbled and wrapped his arms around his father's neck tighter.

Iliana approached her family and looked outside the window to see some of Kantra's people on the platform below while the ship landed safely. Her eyes trailed over the dense trees nearby and up into the sky where two suns shone within it. She quickly averted her eyes and wondered how she'd survive in the heat that awaited her outside.

"Are you sure we can't stay here?" she compromised and Leitjin nodded eagerly. "We're used to living here."

"No, all residents must leave while the ship restocks and gets upgraded" Kantra stated and shook his head. Looking over them, he assured, "You will all be fine. Besides, don't you want to see our fancy home in the treetops?"

"Oh goodness, you are Tarzan" Iliana sighed to herself and laughed softly. "The treetops? Are you serious?"

"I've been telling you for the past month, Ana" he said, placing his hands on his hips while Leitjin swayed on his back. "I do hope you've packed?"

"Of course, dear, I just like teasing you" she laughed and placed her hands on his chest. Tucking her fingers underneath his mesh, she smiled, "I bet it's beautiful but I hope it has a fence of sort. I don't want my babies falling off accidentally."

"It's not dangerous, it's a secure property!" Kantra retorted and then got a thoughtful look, "Then again, I did fall a lot while building it. . ."

"Kantra!" she exclaimed quickly but he laughed loudly.

"I'm joking! It's perfectly safe for our children" he laughed and calmed himself before annoying her more. "I love teasing you too."

"I've noticed" she mumbled but smiled back. "So how's it feel to be back here?"

"Exhilarating, my star" he trilled in excitement as his green eyes twinkled, "Last time I was here, my mate and I-oh. . .oh no. . .I shouldn't have said that."

"Your old mate, eh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in questioning. Her arms crossed over her chest as her hips slanted to the right. "Had some fun together I bet?"

"Kahet, take your siblings and go play in your room" Kantra said quickly and put Leitjin on the floor who whined. Kahet sighed and led his two siblings away from his parents whom he guessed were going to argue and make up seconds later.

"It was years before I met you, remember?" Kantra said in his defense and grabbed her hand into his. "I thought she was my life mate but she left me in order to protect her stature. You know how it is with our society and being the best of the best. . . Back then, yes, I was happy but things change."

"Were you happier with her? You barely talk about that time frame in your life" she said softly and understood him. They both had their own lives back then and lived light-years away before they met. Still, the back of her curious mind always wanted to know about it but she honored her mate's decision to avoid it.

"I was happy but I try to block out those years because of what happened" he said firmly as her fingertips traced up his arm gently. "We've both been with different people throughout our lives-"

"I've never had a mate" she pointed out quickly in a friendly teasing jab. Squeezing his forearm afterwards, she smiled, "But I understand. You've lived way longer than me so I know you have a more diverse history."

"You're the one I will honor and die for" Kantra stated firmly and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. "I've been with you for a longer time and we have three wonderful children. No one could possibly make me happier with what you've given me over the years."

"Hmm, I hope so" she chuckled and kissed him appreciatively. His mandibles held her face against his as he traced his tongue over hers hungrily causing her to wrap her arms around his neck as he lifted her into his arms. Pressing her smaller body against the wall next to the window, he kissed her gently near the entry of her mouth as he nibbled on her lips playfully. She sighed as her eyes trailed over his face, "How could anyone desert you? You're a great catch no matter what anyone thinks. Hell, you made me fawn over you and I was an alien!"

"A very attractive alien who I loved to sleep next to when we were fugitives" he purred seductively and traced his slick tongue up her cheek. Her legs wrapped around his waist in reflex as her scent reached his sensitive nose. "I could mate you till the end of time and I wouldn't have enough of you. Good thing you weren't spoken for by one of those stupid ooman males or we would've had a problem."

"You were jealous any time a human male talked to me, I just thought you were overprotective about our mission" she chuckled and kissed his mandibles with her lips. She giggled at remembering an old incident Kantra didn't like.

_(Flashback)  
__12 years ago. . ._

_Iliana had sneaked out to buy groceries again quickly while he cleaned his weapons. She'd told him she was going to check on the car and had gone across the street to go buy food instead from the local store. Both had been staying there for a week in the quiet town and had rented a room in an inn. Her story had been that she was new in town and was visiting new places while heading to see her sister and new baby. Luckily, it worked and the townspeople paid no mind to her._

"_Hmm, let me check my list" she said, yanking a small paper from out of her sweater pocket. Reading down the list, she frowned at seeing Kantra's sloppy English writing add his own items. "I should've never taught him English. Smart grumpy alien. And of course, he wants meat and fruit."_

"_Hi there, Evelyn" a voice greeted behind her. Iliana turned at hearing her alias name called to her. Seeing a man in his late 20's who worked at the inn she stayed in, she smiled politely._

"_Hi Steven, how are you?" she said cheerfully. "Nice day, isn't it?"_

"_A little cloudy but sure" he smiled back and pointed to the shopping basket she carried. "Our inn stocks a small buffet, you know."_

"_Yeah but I like homemade cooking, especially if I get hungry at night" she said while in her mind, she knew Kantra ate most of it._

"_There's a chili contest in the evening if you'd like to come with me" he invited making Iliana blush and he stammered, "I mean as a friend! Or . .um. .well, whatever's good for you."_

_The older man was an interesting person to talk to the past few days since she rarely spoke to people recently. She wanted to agree to the offer but she had other obligations. . .that and Kantra would probably forbid it. Besides, once he knew about her past, he'd run off like most. Her relationships for the past five years, whether platonic or romantic, were rare and disastrous. She couldn't stay here anyway and sighed mentally._

"_I'll see but I doubt it, Steven" she said, letting him down gently. "Thanks for asking me though, I appreciate it."_

"_If you change your mind, you know where I'll be" he smiled and waved to her in farewell. She watched him leave and went to buy her groceries._

_Afterwards, she returned to her rented room and set her bags down. Kantra uncloaked from where he stood cautiously next to the door and approached her from behind._

"_You lied to me, Iliana" he growled as his warm breath tickled her ear from behind. She winced from the surprise and annoyance in his voice. "You told me you were returning quickly. I thought someone kidnapped you!"_

"_I can take care of myself, Kantra" she snapped back as she began to take out the food from the bags. "We can't run around in starvation, we're not robots. We need food whether you like it or not."_

"_Does the flirting come free?" he questioned roughly making her cheeks blush again. Before she could argue with him, he stated, "I followed you to make sure you were safe but apparently, that male held your interests instead."_

"_How dare you follow me again! Don't you trust me by now?!" she demanded and walked away from the table to the kitchen. "I wouldn't choose a man over what we're doing, okay? I won't tell anyone about you. What's gotten into you?"_

"_Nothing" he hissed bitterly and watched her clang the pans around the counter. He'd been observing her interactions with the ooman male and he didn't like it one bit. She held his complete trust, yes, but when she was near that male and laughing, his blood boiled at the thought of her running off or even being near another man. _

_Why though? She's ooman, she's bound to fancy a male of her kind, he rationalized in thought. Then growled mentally, but still, that male is practically invading in __my__ territory! I have a right to be mad, she's __mine__!. . .What the hell did I just say?. . . Damn it! This cannot keep happening!_

"_so he invited me to a chili contest to. . ." _

"_He what?" he growled protectively and looked at her instantly. Obviously, he'd been far into his thoughts while she kept babbling._

_Oomans babble too much, he thought. Why can't they be like yautjas and get to the point?_

"_Never mind, you're grouchy again" she mumbled and found something to cook for tonight. "Anything I say gets a snappy comeback."_

"_You will not see him again, our mission cannot be compromised" he ordered firmly and she marched up to him to poke his broad chest with her small finger._

"_I may do what I want, I'm an adult" she said firmly and narrowed her eyes, "Kantra, why are you acting like this? Usually, you let it go."_

"_It's fine, what are you making for food?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't know if she'd reciprocate his feelings, him being an alien and all._

"_Talk to me, what's wrong?" she asked, lowering her tone to a softer one. She squeezed his arm once and smiled, "Thanks for covering my back while I went out. I won't ruin our mission for some handsome man, okay? My attention is on you now."_

_Now, the ooman's handsome!, he thought. What must I look like to her then? I scare every human to death and that's with my mask on!_

"_Good, I worry about you also" he admitted and felt her arms wrap around his waist. His aggression towards the situation lowered and he sighed to let out some mental steam. Looking at her, he admitted, "I'm used to your company, I don't want another male replacing me."_

_Aw, he's protective, she thought fondly. Aggressively protective but still!_

"_You're very hard to replace, you're one of a kind" she laughed as she felt his arms lift her body onto the counter. Sitting on it, she dodged the stove, "You better not put me on fire to prove a point!"_

"_I wouldn't dream of it" he trilled and held her closer against his body. He placed his face into the crook of her neck and awaited her reaction. Iliana stared in surprise as his warm skin relaxed her own and smiled at the sensation. Seconds later, her fingers traced through his dreads as her legs wrapped around his waist. Purring softly, he inhaled her sweet scent and pressed his hips against hers causing her to sigh faintly._

"_Kantra" she mewed softly as his actions sent a pleasurable tingle up her spine. She didn't think he'd behave this way towards her but they had been flirting a lot recently. Still, he was an alien. . .an alien with a hot body and smarts that no one on Earth could compete with. Damn, he was turning her on easily with just one small movement. Her breath hitched slightly as he purred into her ear deeply and his teeth bit her lobe gently. His hands cupped her bottom and he pressed his hips against hers again as her back arched against his body. She whispered his name against his neck making his chest rumble, pleased that her body reacted to his so easily._

"_What's wrong? Liking it?" he teased and felt her hips press against his in return. He felt the warmth from her womanhood press against his loins and purred roughly. Did she know what her body was doing to his? Most yautja males would've had her on the floor screaming in pleasure the second her scent went into the air but he had to keep his controlled. Squeezing her bottom in his grip, he said, "Iliana, say my name again."_

"_Kantra" she responded softly as her fingertips caressed his neck in circle motions. His teeth nipped at her neck and her body pushed up against his instantly. Her mind was reeling with the possibilities of what this could bring since neither had acted this way before. Sure, they'd felt closer since Yosemite but still, the most they'd done was nuzzle each other's faces. Yet, her body yearned to be against his by the simple caresses he made on her body. It wasn't rational but she didn't care. "Kantra. . .I. ."_

"_Yes, my dear?" he purred and bit her throat hungrily. She quivered under his touch and gripped his warm mesh in her hand. She tried to speak but only a small moan passed through her lips. Smiling, he tilted her gaze with his own and cupped her chin, "Tell me, Iliana. What do you want?"_

_She shivered at the way he said her name and looked at him as his claws trailed down her neck. "I. . .I want. . ."_

"_Keep going" he teased and squeezed her body against his. He inhaled her scent again and broke eye contact to nip the side of her neck. She groaned and pulled some of his dreads making him bite her neck firmly. She squealed in surprise and he stopped to lick the small cut he made on her skin softly with his tongue. She relaxed again and sighed at his gentle strokes. Breathing against her neck, he said, "I'm sorry. Yautja males don't like their hair pulled unless you want them to react this way. We are an aggressive species after all."_

"_What if I want you to react this way?" she whispered and kissed his cheek softly. He stopped his caresses at her admittance and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him as close as possible. Kissing his temple, she whispered, "You asked me what I wanted."_

"_Then tell me and I will grant it" he said huskily and licked the mark he made on her. Biting a lower area near her clavicle, he purred, "Iliana."_

_A knock interrupted their little moment and Kantra pried himself away from her body regretfully and yearned for a cold shower. Damn it, he'd been so close to having her! Iliana stared at him in surprise for both of their actions and hoped she hadn't embarrassed herself. Was it wrong to want him so easily? He made her body melt with his quiet murmurs within minutes. Why was it so hard to admit her feelings to him? Hearing another knock, Kantra growled towards the door while trying to calm himself._

"_Go have fun, I can't keep you locked up" he said roughly, as he avoided her gaze. Would she think differently of him now? He cursed himself for trying to seduce her._

"_I . .I'd rather be with you" she said bashfully and grabbed his hand. Forgetting their awkward but intimate moment, she smiled, "C'mon, I bet there's a movie on that you'll totally hate and I bought popcorn."_

_Smiling at her friendliness, he scoffed, "Why not? Your ooman entertainment isn't much."_

"I was protective over the female I wanted" he purred and bit her bottom lip. "I want to keep you forever, Iliana. You'll be happy in our new home."

"Good, now let me down before the people down there see us" Iliana chuckled and he listened grudgingly.

"Our kind is used to seeing others mating in public, it's natural" he scoffed and stretched his muscles. "They'd be cheering for our procreation."

"Bad Kantra" she giggled and hit his arm. Then grinning slyly, "I hope our house is ready for us with no remainder of your old life with that other female?"

"Damn, give me about an hour after we leave here" he grumbled and crossed his arms in thought. Ilian a stared at him in amusement. "I'll get Nak-De and Aru'Kar to help me chuck the stuff out while Badru goes to find a huge shredder for the stuff. The cooks are bound to have something in their kitchen."

"Gee, why not use a flamethrower?" she said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Kantra grinned at her making her mouth open in protest. "We use fire all the time!"

_Don't remind me_, she thought as she remembered their med kits.

"No fires! No shredders! No nothing" she objected and grabbed his arm before he left. "You crazy hunter!"

"Crazy hunter with brilliant ideas" he corrected and poked her nose with his claw.

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"I hope to whatever deity is out there that he really didn't use a dangerous item" Iliana groaned as she applied a medicated sunscreen by Ani-De to her skin before leaving the Ade'k'ra. Her body needed to adapt to the new atmosphere so she'd be wearing sunscreen along with more covered clothing despite the blazing suns that awaited her. Luckily, her body was used to the gases of his world and would hopefully have no problems on land.

_As long as I don't faint the moment I step a foot onto the ground, I'll be okay_, she thought.

"They're men, he will and Aru'Kar will be right there next to him" Zia said as she applied the same sunscreen over her arms. Her black hair was tied into a bun to keep the heat away while her brown almond shaped eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses. "Something about males and machines with power."

"Not much difference compared to human males" Iliana sighed as she tied her dreadlocked hair into a ponytail. Placing her sunglasses on, she said, "I haven't been on land in years. You think the gravity will be like Earth's?"

"No idea but I'm hanging on to Aru'Kar's arm" she said, shaking her head. "That and I don't want to lose track of him in the sea of people exiting the ship."

"Mama, Dada?" Darpek, Zia's one year old son, asked while holding his bag eagerly. His mother and Iliana chuckled amusingly at his cute look.

"He'll be here soon, baby" his mother comforted and patted his head. "Go play with Aloun'Da."

"No" he whined but nodded to his cousin, who glared, as he pointed to the window.

"Hmph!" she huffed and walked off to play by herself. Darpek stared with annoyed brown eyes at being left behind and went to sit by the window himself. Minutes later, Aloun'Da joined him with her dolls and the two played together with their toys.

"Children" Zia chuckled and heard the main door of Iliana's home open. Both of their mates walked in with happy grins while their sons tagged behind them.

"Mother, it was awesome!" Kahet yelled and ran to hug his mother. Iliana smiled and hugged her son who's skin was very warm. "I saw the house, it's-"

"Let your mother see it so she can be surprised" Kantra interrupted and patted his shoulder. "Everyone ready?"

Fifteen minutes later and a lot of grumbling, Iliana walked through the warm grass tickling her ankles as the sun's rays poked at her skin. Her forehead perspired sweat within minutes as she watched her children jog carefree and happily in front of her. She smiled and was glad they adjusted easily to their father's world so far. Kantra carried their daughter in his arms so she wouldn't have to.

_Well, at least they're okay_, she thought. _I feel like I'm in the desert!_

"And I thought Arizona was hot in the summer" Zia grumbled next to her and swiped her forehead. Looking at Iliana, she grinned, "Know what I could go for? A cold pool with a big glass of lemonade."

"That would be paradise" she answered back blissfully and tried to imagine it. "Being in the cold snow while wearing a swimsuit. Oh, I miss the cold on Earth when I'm in scorching places."

"What are you two talking about?" Aru'Kar asked clueless, while holding Darpek. He looked at his younger brother who shrugged.

"Snow!" both females answered cheerfully.

"Snow? I hate snow!" Kantra interrupted their daydream in which they kicked his left leg together. He growled at them from the unexpected attack, "Ow! What the pauk was that for?!"

"Father said a bad word!" Kahet laughed up ahead. "Hear that, Aru'Dre?"

"That's not a good example for us pups" Aru'Dre teased and laughed with Kahet as they ran before Kantra could punish them. Leitjin ran behind them in order to not be left behind.

"They're terrors I tell you" Aru'Kar sighed as Darpek stared at him and grinned slyly at his brother, "The females didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Shut up before I kick you and leave you sterile" Kantra growled and walked on ahead in front of the other three adults. "Damn females."

"Daddy" Aloun'Da purred to her father and he returned it making her giggle. His children always made him relax with their adoration, especially his youngest.

"You'll always love me, huh?" he chuckled and squeezed her softly. She giggled again and cuddled up to her father with a happy nod. His daughter was very attached to him since she'd been born and she rarely left his side willingly.

Iliana ran up to catch up to her mate and looped her arm through his. He clicked his throat in irritation but squeezed her hand with his as he carried their belongings. Aloun'Da purred to her mother and Iliana squeezed her rosy mahogany cheeks softly while making happy noises to her.

"Is the heat too much? I could carry you like old times" he suggested while a smile graced his face. "Except no buildings this time."

"No, the heat's murder but I like walking on land" she said and walked closer to his side. "I've missed it so I'm going to be walking until we leave."

"Well, we have to take a transport to the sector near our house" he explained to her slowly. "Then we can walk to our home. The boys liked the ride, it's not too long."

"Basically, a bus in English" she muttered and shrugged. Brightening up, she said, "I can't wait to see our home and mold it to our needs for these three months. It's going to be fun! Remember when we moved to the Ade'k'ra and we couldn't decorate anything? I felt embarrassed since I knew nothing about your culture."

"Good thing my mother's always there" he sighed in relief. "Our homes are near each other, families tend to cluster together like the homes onboard."

"So, do we know our neighbors then?" she asked curiously and looked up at him. Luckily, his tall frame blocked the direct sunlight so she could see clearly without squinting.

"Aru'Kar and Badru, who'll be building his own home now" he said proudly. "He was a pup when he came here, now he's a hunter. Our sons will be the same when we return."

She chuckled and sang in amusement, "Oh, Happy Days."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kantra asked, confused.

"It's about an Earth show that finished a year before I met you" she informed and squeezed his arm affectionately. "Let's go home."

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"I feel like an Ewok" Iliana said, looking over the balcony in her bedroom to see the lush teal leaves of the tree her new home inhabited. She heard chirps of many different creatures all around her while looking down the tall height towards the ground below. Looking back into her bedroom, she called out, "You're sure our house won't fall down?"

"It's been here for many years, Iliana" Kantra sighed and walked out to meet her. Caressing her cheek with his palm, he said, "Do you think I'd let my family walk into a dangerous life threatening dwelling?"

"No, but it's just my human paranoia" she chuckled and looked around the large balcony area again. Kantra had placed chairs in it for his family so they could relax until they could find more furniture to fill it with. Iliana traced her hand over the balcony railing, "We're up so high and it's beautiful. I've never seen anything like this, I expected something like. . .skyscrapers and homes within huge buildings while ships flew by overhead. Not this serene environment, it's perfect for the children."

"The city is miles away, that's where you'll see what you're thinking" he informed her and chuckled at her vivid imagination, "Families tend to want to live with nature where we honed our skills when our world began so we could become top hunters. Within the city, members like our High Elders and scholars live in it. Most who live there scarcely participate in hunts anymore. We keep our aggression and hunts in space while leaving our planet unscathed of violence. Our planet gave us life, why would we harm it in any way?"

"Humans could learn from that, especially after all our warfare" she said, surprised at that fact. "You always give me new facts to learn over the years, Kantra."

"Good, we will always learn from each other" he said with an amused smile as he leaned against the balcony railing next to her. Iliana smiled at his relaxed yet alluring pose. Releasing a small contended sigh, he said, "I built this home with my brother's help when I was a Young Blood at the age of 34. I had no idea what I was doing- don't laugh- but my elder kin knew what to do. I've always been happy to spend my time here every twenty years, so I can assure you it's safe." Iliana nodded quickly with a chuckle as he went on, "I never thought I'd see my home again after my Bad Blood trial. Now, I have the voices of my offspring running around the place."

Iliana caressed his face with her fingertips and smiled, "I'm glad you're happy here, you deserve every minute of it. You've earned the chance to relax after all those trips and that awful trial. I'm proud that you chose me as your mate and you've shared as well as given me new opportunities in this universe. Things that I had never deemed possible!"

"You're my equal, Iliana, no matter what species we belong to or what anyone says" Kantra said and kissed her gently, tracing his mandibles down her cheeks as his tusks brushed over her skin. Biting her top lip, he purred, "How could I not choose you? I'm stubborn, you're stubborn, we fit perfectly. I'd give you more if I could-"

"No, you've given me more than enough!" she interrupted quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kissing his mouth once, she said, "I worry I haven't given you enough! I know males in this society give more to the females but-"

"You don't have to do anything" he scoffed and flicked her nose with his finger playfully. "You've loved and remained loyal to me since the day we mated. You've given me my offspring and kept them safe, that's more than enough for me."

_Oh, how I love him_, she thought and hugged him quietly.

"By the way, where are the children?" Iliana asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've been so content out here, I forgot! Bad Kantra, making me relax and forget my motherly duties." Kantra laughed as she gave him a mock glare and she asked, "Seriously, where are they?"

"Playing in their playroom" he grinned at her as his hand squeezed her waist. "You still have to see the rest of the house. You only saw the main room, this one, our bathroom, and the children's rooms."

"There's more? But it's so cool underneath this shade and the soft wind. . ." she trailed off blissfully and lifted her chin peacefully. "I don't want to leave."

"When I built this home, I intended it to last through many years" he explained to her and went to lean against the balcony doorway. "We have long years ahead of us and children can fit into our extra rooms one day. Eventually, grandchildren will arrive and our own will build their own homes near ours." He paused to point at the tree branches overhead, "This tree will grow and branch out just like our family will throughout the ages. It's starting out small like our children and over the centuries, it'll reach the highest treetops while our line continues. One day, we will die and our descendants will inherit this beautiful home. Laughter and joy will fill it every twenty years, it'll be by us in the present, our children in the future, and whoever extends our lineage thereafter. It'll stay in good hands and will be our legacy to them."

_Maybe I'll be blessed with a long life and get to see how far my family grows_, Kantra thought as he traced a finger down one of the inscribed decorations on the wall next to him. _I hope my Iliana lives as long as well._

"I've never heard you sound so profound" Iliana smiled proudly at him. "And you're right. We only live once so let's experience all we can with the ones we love."

_He really loves his world despite not seeing it for so long_, she thought warmly. _I wish he could stay here longer. The children better like it here after everything their father's put into building their home._

"I already am. . .but since you said so, let me give you the tour!" Kantra grinned smugly and grabbed her hand into his to drag her back into their home. "As you see, our bedroom is spacious for future needs and nicely decorated with our basic belongings. Over the years, we can fix it up more. A lavatory is attached also and we have our nice balcony. Later on, we can get _comfortable_ in our cozy large bed together."

"Kantra, is mating all you think of?" she laughed and shook her head when he trilled. "Never mind, don't answer that. Yautjas live to mate and hunt."

He chuckled at her human modesty after all their years and sighed, "You have to get used to it. One day I'll ravish you in an open garden to take away that modesty, my dear. Our kind loves mating in the open, it aids procreation. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw one of my brothers mating-"

"No, enough!" she stopped him quickly and covered her ears. "I don't want to picture your brothers naked anywhere!"

"It's not like they're bad looking" he said, shrugging nonchalantly. "We're a good looking family in my opinion."

"Now, who's smug?" she grinned and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, let's go fix the house and find the kitchen."

She led him out of their bedroom which had beautiful cream colored wooden walls unlike the metal ones on board the Ade'k'ra. Their bed was large with dark colored pelts ranging from black to fawn. Her eyes trailed over to the open balcony again as they exited and walked down the hall but she realized, she had no idea where to go.

"I am so gonna get lost" she grumbled making him laugh. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind while she looked over her new strange home.

_It's like moving to a new home again_, she thought as Kantra nuzzled her neck in sympathy.

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"Come at me, you squishy!" Nak-De's voice ordered as he swiped at Iliana's head.

"I'm not a squishy!" she growled and struck his arm with one of her training sticks, which highly resembled the light but durable rattan sticks. "I'm a human that's about to kick your ass!"

"Good, let the anger come and strike me!" he snapped and hit her side with one of his muscular legs. She fell onto the grass where they were practicing, underneath the shade of her home. Taking deep breaths, she rolled to the side quickly before he could kick her again. Jumping back onto her feet, she circled him cautiously while he simply watched her with his golden gaze.

"I don't want her bruised, Nak-De!" Kantra yelled overhead from another tree where he was helping Badru build the outer frame of his home. The three males had begun working on it and in the afternoon, Aru'Kar had come in to take over Nak-De's spot while he trained Iliana. She had complained at first but was eventually dragged out by her instructor.

"Well, if she knew how to fight, then I wouldn't!" he yelled back arrogantly. Iliana charged at him and he simply dodged to the side as she fell down. "See?"

_Damn male, he's like a slave driver_, she thought. _No wonder everyone wants to be trained by him._

While he boasted to Kantra, Iliana hit the back of his knees with her weapons and kneed his back forcefully. The older male barely fell down so she slammed her weapons onto the back of his shoulders as he reached around to yank her arm. Stepping back quickly, she kicked his abdomen with her leg roughly but he grabbed her leg in a tight grip.

"Do you really think that'll work?" he snapped at her making her eyes narrow.

"No, but-" she began and jumped into the air to land a kick right on his throat with the free leg she still had. Nak-De let her go in surprise and massaged his stinging throat while she landed on all fours and got into a defensive position. Wiping sweat away from her brows, she placed her sticks on the floor and charged at him. Snappishly, she demanded, "When can I use the staff like I wanted?"

"When I deem you worthy enough!" Nak-De shot back and grabbed her incoming punches as he flipped her over in the air and she hit the floor on her back on impact.

"Argh!" she cried out from the hard blow that sucked the air out of her lungs. "Damn you!"

Slowly turning to her side, she breathed in gently to not hurt her lungs from the quick intake of air and sat up. The heat was getting to her body and dehydrating her rapidly so she shook her head to knock away the dizziness trying to settle in.

"Enough, Nak-De! My mate just arrived yesterday!" Kantra yelled instantly and began to descend down the stairway wrapped around Badru's tree. Nak-De raised his hand and signaled him to stop.

"I know how to handle my students, stop letting your personal attachment get in the way of my teaching!" Nak-De barked and looked at Iliana, "Had enough for today?"

"Yes, how the hell do you have enough energy to wake up before me, start building a house, and beat me up all before the sun goes down?" she said in irritation and stood up dizzily. Nak-De wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her and led her over to a shady spot where she could rest. "Thanks, teacher."

"You've gotten good under my training but you still have years ahead of you before you can take down a full grown male" he said as he grabbed a water jug to pour her a cup. Giving it to her, she drank it eagerly as he continued, "This atmosphere can challenge you and I will use every resource possible against you to get you stronger. Are you sure you want to continue my training?"

"Of course, you're the best there is" she grinned at him and wiped her mouth. He rolled his yellow eyes but puffed out his green chest arrogantly. "You scare the hell out of me when we train but it's better to have you than someone else who intends to harm me do that."

"Good and talk to your mate before he tries to challenge me" he told her as they saw Kantra glance at them while helping Badru with his perimeter fence. "He knows training exercises are tough but he's still very protective of you."

_He's always protective_, she thought giddily. _But I love it._

Iliana smiled back instead and heard a voice similar to Nak-De's call out, "You all left me out! What kind of brothers are you?"

Ani-De popped out into their viewpoint wearing only a long blue loincloth with his long black dreads tied high in a ponytail, looking nothing like the medic that he was. In fact, he really did look like Nak-De's double now except for the long dreads.

"You didn't wake up when we knocked on your window" Nak-De answered simply and shrugged. "We threw a rock but-"

"That was you? I have to replace that window because of it!" Ani-De growled at his twin. Iliana watched the exchange with a silly grin. "I thought a Bad Blood was on the loose! You do crazy things sometimes-"

"Are you going to help or not?" his twin demanded instantly as Ani-De grumbled but nodded reluctantly. "Good, you can go help Aru'Kar not ruin what I've done. The man can polish a skull to perfection but he can't drill in a nail right."

"Hey, don't insult him" Iliana groaned in his defense. "He helped you build your home when you came here years ago, so Kantra tells me."

"Your male isn't any better either, he almost fell setting the perimeter" Nak-De trilled and laughed mockingly.

"Only because you kept pushing him with your male territoriality on where everything should go" she chided amusingly as Ani-De laughed and walked off. "The true makings of an instructor."

"Don't you have some pups to tend to?" he growled and offered her his hand to stand up. She stood straight and raised her chin defiantly.

"Only because they need me" she huffed and walked towards her home. Nak-De shook his head and tightened his ponytail before walking off to help his brothers in the other tree.

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"Now isn't this much better?" Iliana smiled as she set the drinks down on a black table outside. It was a week later and she made a small garden party for the males and children to relax in after working on Badru's incomplete home. Surprisingly, gentle winds settled in the evening as one yellow sun went down and the other loomed halfway in the horizon as the sky became a reddish-blue.

"Much better" Kantra sighed and drank his drink instantly, then went to refill it. Iliana glared and he sighed, "What? It's not like we're going to run out quickly."

"You males guzzle it like crazy" Zia spoke up as she fanned herself from a chair she sat in. "Then you go back to work and come home with a stomach ache and act like a dying pup."

"That was only once" Aru'Kar hushed his mate and patted her head lightly. She glared at him but sighed as she went back to watching the children.

"So, when will it all be done?" Iliana asked Badru, who lay on the grass while Aloun'Da and Darpek poked him humorously with sticks.

"By the time we leave, and if not, I can hire some artisan or designer from the city nearby to finish it for me" he explained and sat up to grab both children into his arms, who wiggled to be free instantly. "Most build their homes if they've been taught to. My mother's family is used to doing this so we saw our uncles do it when we were young and I have older brothers who're experienced to aid me, so it's all right."

"Mother, catch!" Kahet yelled suddenly and Iliana turned. Looking up, she spotted a black round object headed towards her and she tried to grab it but Kantra caught it instead in one hand.

"Hey, it was mine!" she complained and hit his arm playfully. He hissed softly and gave her the ball which was almost like a baseball but with a hard outer shell of a metallic black color. Shrugging, she threw it back to Kahet who caught it and threw it to Leitjin, who dropped it.

"Good try, Leitjin" his father encouraged as his youngest son looked sad. Leitjin's face lit up and he threw it to his Uncle Ani-De, who sent it flying right into the back of his twin's head.

"Ow! You son of a-" Nak-De began but Aru'Kar punched his arm to silence him. He grumbled, "Damn twin, acting like a pup and all."

Aru'Kar grabbed the toy and threw it to Kantra again, who caught it but Iliana took it away from him quickly. Laughing impishly, she threw it at Ani-De who grabbed it and laughed, "I bet you two would lose against us."

"Healers" Aru'Kar snorted and grinned at Kantra, "How about it?"

The four instantly squared off against each other on the grassy field while the children watched curiously and in a frump. Kahet sighed in annoyance and crossed him arms while Leitjin sat and watched happily. Aru'Dre, being the loud voice of outrage, glared at his father.

"They took our ball!" Aru'Dre complained to his mother.

"Here" she sighed and gave the kids another ball. "Go play on the other side."

"But if you can, hit your Uncle Ani-De, and I'll give you candy" Nak-De enticed the children as Badru laughed.

"And you call him childish" he snorted which earned him a kick in the stomach. Gasping for air, he trilled, "It was worth it."

Zia rolled her eyes at their antics and watched the other four adults play their game. They were evenly matched, surprisingly, and both were determined to win. In one instance, the ball went farther than Ani-De's reach so he basically threw a surprised Iliana into the air with his strength so she could catch the ball in midair and accomplished it. Kantra stared in surprise as his mate grinned nervously and tossed the ball to him. He caught it and purred to his mate in delight at her agile movements making her blush. Ani-De growled at her to catch her attention making Kantra annoyed that her eyes weren't on him anymore so he chucked the ball at him. Ani-De grabbed the ball quickly despite the fast speed it had and fell onto the grass on his side. Grumbling, he got up and dusted himself quietly while his brothers hissed in irritation at his slowness. While their attention was off-guard, he grinned and launched it over Aru'Kar's head.

"Throw me?" Aru'Kar suggested to his younger partner.

"Not on your life" Kantra hissed and pointed at the ball. "Go!"

Aru'Kar ran to catch it as fast as he could and jumped to make a grab at it but it slipped through his fingertips. He landed on the grass on his stomach roughly as the ball landed a few feet away. Roaring in frustration, he grabbed a handful of grass and threw it as he stood back up. Grabbing the ball as if it were diseased, he walked back to the other three. Ani-De and Iliana grinned victoriously while Kantra frowned at him.

_Damn it! I lost!_, Aru'Kar thought.

"We won! Healers beat the Hunters!" Iliana gloated and patted her partner's arm.

"How could he miss that? Unbelievable" Kantra mumbled under his breath. "I'm choosing one of them as a partner next time."

"What was that?!" Aru'Kar growled at him in agitation.

"Nothing, good game" he said, walking away coolly. Grabbing his mate, he purred into her ear, "I hope you'll be that flexible tonight."

"Hmm, so what do I get for winning?" she smiled as her fingertip traced down his chest flirtingly. "As honorable as it is mating to a male like you every night, I'd like something else. . .oh say, you washing the clothes?"

"Eh? No!" he whined and rested his head on her shoulder. "I wanted a carefree mating, not a chore."

"Are you guys going to eat or what?" Zia called out to them as she fixed the plates with food. Their three children were already eating their food on the grass happily while Zia's kids kept poking Badru.

"What's with the poking?" Ani-De asked him curiously.

"Pups behave this way around me for some reason" he sighed and smiled, "At least Kila got out of her biting stage before she bit my shoulder off."

Iliana and Kantra walked in their family's direction hand in hand. Squeezing her hand quickly, he smiled gently at her.

"How do you like my world?" he asked, interested. His green eyes lingered on her face while he spoke. "I promised you'd see everything I could offer you."

"It's beyond anything I could dream of" she smiled back tenderly and cuddled up to him. "I'm proud to be a part of your world, Kantra. It's a rare honor and I aim to keep it that way."

"If you two don't hurry up, I'm eating your food!" Nak-De yelled at them. Kantra ran instantly and dragged a surprised Iliana behind him, who's feet barely touched the grass to keep up with his long strides.

"He'll do it too!" he told her quickly. Then yelled out, "You touch my food and I'll burn down your home!"

"Enough with the fire!" Iliana scolded him as she glared at his green back.

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End of **Chapter 12**. And the Ade'k'ra lands on their home planet to restock and let its people vacation around. I'm not sure how their planet looks, so I just made it up according to the areas they like to hunt at on Earth and different planets. So yeah, thanks for reading and the last reviews! I made some sketches about this story so you can see them on my profile under this story's section. And for any questions, just pm me.


	13. Of Peaceful Days

CHAPTER 13:

**Of Peaceful Days**

It had been two months since the Ade'k'ra residents had returned to the homeland where their clan resided. Iliana had adapted to the atmosphere but the heat still got to her, especially when the bright suns were high in the sky with blazing rays. Kantra, however, loved it and practically basked in it half-naked making his mate envious. Their children had fortunately adapted to the planet instantly due to their father's dominant genes which both parents were glad for. Kahet's and Leitjin's skin had developed into a deeper tone from the sun exposure, making the brothers happy that their skin texture looked more like their father's. Kantra had taken his family throughout the land to see the varying homes and wildlife but hadn't taken them into the city yet. Kahet kept poking his father about it and he agreed that they'd go their last week there but for now. . .

"We're going to a beach today" Iliana giggled quietly onto her mate's warm neck. "Cool water to soak your chin up to and relax. The kids can't wait but I'm glad they're asleep. It took forever to get them into bed yesterday."

"They went on and on, didn't they?" Kantra chuckled lightly and wrapped his arm around her. She smiled as he nipped at her cheek softly, "I'd rather stay in bed but. . ."

"We have an hour before they wake" she said smiling as she pulled off one of the warm gray pelts off of her. "It's hot again. I hate being sweaty in the morning."

Kantra watched his mate fumble with their sheets while he had no problems whatsoever. He felt bad that her body didn't adapt quickly like his due to her being human but chuckled mentally at it whenever she got enraged about it. Looking to the side, he saw his daughter sleeping on her side with her back facing him in her crib. Despite the many rooms his home held, Iliana was adamant about not parting with their daughter. Aloun'Da was used to waking up to them in their bedroom on the Ade'k'ra so he'd agreed. He liked picking up his toddler and tickling her once she was wide awake and happy anyway. Kantra felt at peace in the universe as he lay in his bed on his homeworld, surrounded by his wonderful family. Sighing blissfully, he looked to his mate and rolled his eyes at her fumbling.

"Why can't the blankets be frozen? That would be bliss" she mumbled as she settled on wrapping a thin blanket over her nude body. He cuddled up against her making her sigh depressingly, "You're comfortable, it's not fair. And you're warm too!"

"Stop complaining" he scolded playfully and nipped at her bare shoulder gently. She pouted in which he chuckled, "We only have one more month."

"The kids love it here, it's free unexplored territory to them" she laughed and wrapped an arm around his athletic waist. "We'll have to pry them off the walls when it's time to go. But for now, I'll sweat my head off chasing after them. Hmm, I really can't wait to see your oceans."

"They're like Earth's but they hold more dangerous creatures" he said cautiously as she listened and nodded. "So make sure the children don't try to swim or walk past the borders. If at all, stay near the shore only."

"You'll be looking after them too" she pointed out and grabbed one of his lower mandibles playfully. Kissing its soft skin, she grinned, "I don't want you on the sand flexing your muscles to single females along with your younger brothers like trophy males."

"Jealous, my dear?" he preened impishly and pressed his forehead against hers. She gave him a small glare as he chuckled amusingly.

_I love teasing her_, he thought.

"Ahem, you are an attractive male with high status" she pointed out and looked into his eyes, "Who wouldn't want you? I practically stayed in your arms every time you touched me when we met. You finally put me out of my misery when we first mated in that motel. I wouldn't be surprised if females asked you to mate with them a minute after meeting you."

_How he drove me insane with his innuendos when we were alone back then_, she thought.

"They'd probably find me too emotional and ask that I go on more hunts, which I won't" he said, grinning like a rascal. He flexed one of his arms so she could see his rippling tight biceps as he said, "You're the only female I'll be flexing to until I'm an old man and can't move anymore. You can then stare at me while I give you flirty looks as an alternative."

"I don't know how you still drive me insane but I love it" she laughed and pressed her lips against his mouth. He opened it and rumbled his chest against hers as his tongue brushed past her lips and over hers. Her body melted against his kiss and she leaned back onto the bed as he gripped her dreadlocked hair and pressed her soft body under his. His tongue ran gently over hers while his teeth nibbled on her top lip, stirring a small moan from her. After a few seconds, he let go of their kiss to bite her right cheek softly as he gently pulled on some of her locks. Her hand caressed his broad chest as she kissed his cheek in return and smiled, "I love you, Kantra."

"Aloun'Da's asleep, you know" he suggested seductively in her ear. Parting her legs with one hand, he grinded his bare hips against hers and nipped at her exposed neck softly. Tracing a sharp claw down her bare side which gave her body a good shiver, he purred, "Join me, Iliana. I'm ever so ready for you, my star."

"It's early in the morning" she tried to reason with him but whimpered when his thumb teased one of her nipples and his fingers cupped her breast. "Kantra, we should get ready-"

"Why not have our own fun before the children wake?" he purred teasingly and fondled her round breast with his warm fingers while his tongue traced over her throat in circles as he licked it slowly. "Our own happy time?"

_Is his appetite ever satiated?_, she wondered but already knew the answer.

"You always make something nice sound sexual" she scolded gently as his teeth nipped over her throat and neck in small firm bites. Slumping back into her bed, she murmured, "Oh, that feels good. Aw hell, I always give into you anyway. There's no way I can ever deny you, my body's fully dependent on your touches already."

"I'll never pressure you, Iliana" he said, looking at her seriously. She smiled at his usual thoughtfulness and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hugging him in appreciation, she kissed his firm shoulder.

"Just don't make me sore that I can't walk" she smirked and placed her leg over his waist to keep him in place as her lips traced over his neck while her sharp nails raked his chest teasingly. "Besides, once you're like this, it's very hard to say no to you."

"Excellent" he purred as her nimble touches grazed his skin pleasingly while he watched her curiously. Her hazel eyes trailed over his chiseled chest giddily while her claw-shaped fingernails traced the contours of each muscle on his abdomen. He purred softly at her gentle strokes over his skin, she knew every inch of his body and what made him purr like a pup. Making eye contact with him, she smiled and kissed his warm neck eagerly while his chest vibrated against her fingertips. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "You've no idea how badly I need to be inside you every day, despite our years together. You're very hard to resist, Ana."

"Am I? If so, it's because of our unwavering affection" she grinned and kissed each of his mandibles softly. Kantra parted her legs from under him and traced his finger over her warm opening and teased her clit with his thumb. One of her legs moved to the side to allow him better access as her hips arched towards his hand pleadingly. Her head rested against the pillow as his teeth bit her neck hungrily while one of his fingers slipped inside her moist opening in one motion. Biting her bottom lip to quiet the intruding sensation, she sighed, "Oh, that feels wonderful."

He traced his tongue down the valley between her breasts to nip at her flat stomach gently as her nails trailed down his arm to caress his skin. Her hips bucked against his hand while his fingers became covered in her juices and he inhaled her aroused scent easily as it filled the room. Oh, how her sweet scent put his body in instant need for relief! Purring in satisfaction, he withdrew his fingers causing a small moan from her and licked them clean in front of her. She blushed lightly at his arousing actions and sat up to meet his chest. Kissing it eagerly, she pushed him back onto the bed on his backside as she straddled his chest and climbed on top of him. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pressed her body over his tightly.

"I like it when you try to get dominant" he growled huskily and traced his tusks over her neck delicately. The sharp points sent shivers down her spine as she grinded her hips against his aching member. Biting her neck with his sharp teeth firmly, he said, "I'd hate to have a submissive mate who listens to my every whim."

"I'd hate to have a male who doesn't argue with me" she smirked as his teeth clamped down sharply on another spot on her neck, "You're going to leave a mark."

"Good, then everyone can see who you belong to" he purred as his mouth reached for hers and his hands cupped her breasts to stroke them. She kissed him deeply as her hands ran over his large forehead and into his thick dreads. Pulling some of them under her grasp, he hissed, "Unless you want me to mate you in a manner that'll have you screaming bloody murder and leave you off your feet for days, I'd suggest you let go."

_I don't want my daughter traumatized if she sees anything_, she thought in a flick of embarrassment. _He got lucky this time._

"But I like pulling them" she groaned in fake disappointment and placed the tip of one of his dreads in her mouth to trace her tongue over it slowly while maintaining eye contact with her mate. Hearing him purr at her teasing display, she said, "Is that better? Did my caresses please you, my Kantra?"

"Cocky female" he groaned roughly from her provocative position. His hands squeezed her breasts causing her to yelp in surprise. He teased the erect tips of her nipples in which she bit her bottom lip to stop any loud sounds from being uttered. Her hips pressed down on his as her eyes closed in pleasure and in a deep purr, he asked, "You're ready for me, aren't you, Iliana? Do you want me inside you?"

She nodded meekly as her fingers reached between her thighs to stroke his throbbing manhood. Kantra growled and grabbed her hips to lift her onto his member in one swipe but didn't enter his entire length into her. Iliana cried softly from the sweet relief of being impaled by his large size but groaned when he held her barely halfway down his length with his strength. She dug her feet into the sheets as she tried to lower herself entirely onto him but his hands didn't budge an inch.

_Curse his strength!_, she thought in agony.

"You're such a tease" she groaned as he smirked at her and waved one of his upper mandibles playfully. "Kantra."

"Tell me what I want to hear" he demanded mischievously while she sighed in aggravation. In a nonchalant tone, he said, "I'm not going inside you until you say it."

_Damn him and his self-control!_, she thought furiously.

"Oh, you son of a-" she began and he pulled out of her slowly. Placing her palms on his chest instantly, she gave in, "Okay, okay! You're the best male within the La'u-Yun clan and no one will ever match your honor as Arbitrator. Your name will be feared by all Bad Bloods as you hunt them down."

"And?" he grinned, wagging his brows in which she hit his chest softly in protest. "Keep going."

"No! You can't keep torturing me like this" she groaned in a whine as her body urged to be ravished by his. Kantra simply kept on grinning and held her in place while she wriggled to move her hips against his. He trilled at her movements to pleasure herself but she couldn't do much against his strength. She glared at him as she stopped and he gave her another impish smile.

"Not until you finish, my lovely" he purred and pushed into her completely but quickly reversed the motion in a second. Her disappointed groan only made him trill in pleasure. "Say it and I will ravish you then."

_He's such a tease in bed_, she thought but gave in. _But so handsomely wicked._

"I've been a very bad female, Arbitrator Kantra" she smiled deviously and leaned down to kiss his broad chest with her soft lips. Nipping at his muscled torso, she said, "I would think a punishment's in order from such a respectable male like you, don't you think? I need to be taught a good lesson by my powerful and oh so tempting man."

"Very much so, my beautiful mate" he trilled in delight and thrust his mate down his entire length in one movement. She cried out from the pleasurable intrusion and dug her nails into his hips while her back arched instantly as she adjusted to his size. He sat up and caressed her face with his own as he asked gently, "Does it hurt?"

"I can handle anything you throw at me" she mumbled and rocked her hips against his while breathing unevenly as a small moan escaped her lips. She pushed him back onto the bed and placed her hands on his stomach to keep herself steady. He made small movements into her as she adjusted to his size. Smiling at being able to mate with him again, she smirked, "Including your manliness. I'll be fine, Kantra. I love it when you're rough, it's natural for you."

"Feisty" he growled gleefully as he watched her hips move up and down his length while her head bobbed in the same manner. Oh, how he enjoyed seeing her take control of their mating as his body felt pleasure tickles from her movements on him. She moaned quietly as her knees dug into the sheets and parted her legs more to give both of them a better position as she slid down his length. He watched her enticingly with lustful eyes as he trilled, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Liking it?" she smirked in return while he caressed one of her bouncing breasts in his hand. She smacked his hand away playfully, earning her a small growl. Pointing a finger at him while she wiped her sweaty forehead, she panted, "You can look, but not touch."

"Pauk that, we're mating together this time, last time you wouldn't let me touch you" he hissed quickly and grabbed her waist to thrust faster into her body. She placed her hands over his and bit her bottom lip firmly to silence her pleased cries as she rode his stiff length. Her hips swayed back and forth over his as he pulled her hands to bring her upper body on top of his on the bed. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pushed faster into her warm core and traced his claws down her back to leave small scratches on it. She inhaled deeply from the pleasure as her teeth nibbled over his throat hungrily and her arms wrapped over his damp neck to hold him closer. His mouth nibbled on her ear as he purred roughly, "You like that, don't you?"

"Harder, damn you" she panted and kissed him quickly in a frenzy of pleasure. He bit her neck sharply but she knew he'd never bite down on one of her major arteries or break any skin near those areas. He pushed faster into her in sync as his tongue licked her neck causing her skin to tingle from excitement. His movements always rocked her to the core while his caresses felt like heaven on her skin. No matter how he moved or what he did, he always had the same effect on her body. A waterfall of pleasure on her body and mind.

_He can be gentle when he wants and wild like an animal at other times_, she thought giddily.

"We'll wake Aloun'Da if I do" he reminded but drove faster into her while digging his claws into her soft bottom to add force to his movements. She whimpered and bit his shoulder while his own teeth nipped at her exposed neck. Her tight walls contracted against his member and a few seconds later, she cried out softly and dug her teeth into his skin as she climaxed. Oh, how she wanted to cry out his name from the wonderful mating he'd given her. Iliana sighed in passionate relief as her body felt exhausted from the wonderful euphoria he'd placed her in. Kantra felt her come over his member and he plunged faster into her until he reached his own. He growled loudly and Iliana tried to cover his mouth but groaned as she felt him come inside of her and smiled at the feeling. Kantra nipped at her lips and she kissed him as he finished his last thrusts into her. She rested against him while he withdrew from her and he turned to his daughter's crib to luckily find her still asleep.

Kantra panted and pulled at Iliana's locks softly while she caressed his damp chest with one hand. He nibbled on her cheek playfully in the form of a kiss and rumbled his chest in content. Iliana smiled happily and kissed his chin in return.

"Once again, you were marvelous" she sighed blissfully as she regulated her breathing. Slyly, she whispered, "Next time, you can choose the position."

"With pleasure" he trilled and nuzzled her face with his. Chuckling, he purred, "Tonight, while the children play, I'll take you over and over on the table outside in the balcony."

"I said position, I'm not about to get caught naked with you by the neighbors" she whispered in a hiss as she blushed at the thought. "It's too daring and naughty."

"It's our balcony, no one will see us and if they do, well, we'll show them what mating is all about" he trilled amusingly and nipped at her red neck. He'd really gotten into a bitten frenzy today. "And see, the pups are still asleep."

"I guess I owe you a backrub?" she pouted making him chuckle deeply. "No fair."

"Oh, I'll want more than a backrub, my dear" he laughed evilly and she dug her face into his neck. "The modesty must go, Iliana."

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"This is wonderful" Zia chuckled as she splashed her feet in the cool water while sitting on a thin white blanket. She didn't know what to bring for her first time at an alien beach so decided to take the essentials most people did on Earth, just in case. Darpek splashed at her and laughed happily while he stared at the water curiously. She wasn't going to let her little one out of her sight, especially since Aru'Dre had gone off to play with the older children and her mate was somewhere basking like a turtle.

"Much better than this heat" Iliana sighed as she drank a cold drink from a hollowed out brown round shell. Kantra grew the fruit from their home's trees and she used the sweet pink fruit from inside for food while he let the tough shells dry outside in the sun so they could use them as cups or bowls. Aloun'Da reached out for her drink from where she rested in her mother's lap, wearing a pink summer dress Iliana had brought from Earth. She loved to dress up her only daughter in dresses while Kantra complained she was cute enough already. Her green eyes brightened when she drank happily from her mother's cup while Iliana rubbed her back. The toddler then settled back against her mother's chest and watched her brothers play around the beach.

"Mama" she called to her, pointing to Kantra, who was watching over the two boys near the shore. Her hands curled out towards her beloved father but Iliana kept her close. Realizing she couldn't leave, she whimpered with a quivering bottom lip, "Daddy."

"You'll play with him later, princess" Iliana soothed and kissed her cheek. Aloun'Da pouted as her mother chuckled, "We'll have our fun, okay?"

"Pretty" Leitjin smiled, looking over the sea curiously. Kahet wadded into the water cautiously but Aru'Dre came up from behind and pushed him into it. His warm body hit the cold water while Aru'Dre laughed proudly at his prank but soon cried out when Kahet threw a small black slug-looking creature from the water onto his face. Aru'Dre ran around wildly in circles until he ripped it away frantically and dived in after a cackling Kahet.

"No fighting, go play!" Iliana ordered the two children who growled but listened.

The entire family had gathered on the shore of the beach that lay near Nak'Aru's and Bai'Kar's home. Iliana had visited their home months ago and was surprised to see a house practically the size of a mansion standing while using two intertwined trees as the sturdy foundation. Badru had now designed his entire home and only needed to furnish the inside of it and add belongings he would permanently keep within it. Now, Kantra could sleep past sunrise and stay in bed with his mate instead of having his windows thrown pebbles at. Iliana had gotten angry when the first one shattered before dawn one day and had frightened their daughter. Kantra then prepared his own assembly of hand-sized rocks to throw at his imposing brothers and that had been the end of it.

Kahet and the other children then played on the sand with a ball while others built sandcastles, after Zia had shown them how. Leitjin decided to play with his father in the powder blue water since the other boys got aggressive and began to wrestle in the water. Iliana had been surprised at the pale water that closely resembled Earth's and it was surprisingly neutral, not acidic in any way. If at all, it was cleaner! Kila helped Sri'shan build a sandcastle while Sau'Nak, Aru'Dre, and Kahet threw a ball to each other in the water. Their fathers had scolded them after they soaked Zia and Darpek from all their splashing and had made them calm down.

"No fair" Aru'Dre grumbled as he threw the ball at Sau'Nak. "I want to wrestle."

"Let's go to the other side" Kahet suggested and waddled over to his father. He poked his back as he pointed to the right side, "Can we play over there so we don't soak anyone?"

"Very well, but don't wander from my sight" Kantra nodded and let the three boys pass by happily. "Be careful and don't play rough."

"Hunters are meant to be rough" Aru'Dre scoffed smugly, puffing out his brown chest. His uncle gave him a firm look and he looked down, "Yes, Uncle Kantra."

"Go play then" he said, ushering the boys back to their game. He grabbed Leitjin so he could dunk him into the water, "Why don't you play with them, son?"

"They're aggressive, I like playing quietly" Leitjin said, looking down and away from his father. "They're stronger than me."

"You'll be strong in time, you're the youngest from those three" his father assured and squeezed his son playfully. Leitjin growled and groaned from the open affection, but laughed anyway.

"Thanks, father" he smiled appreciatively and hugged him back. Kantra smiled at his youngest boy and dropped him into the water playfully when he let go. "Dad!"

"I enjoy having my entire family together" Bai'Kar purred in content as she watched each individual while sitting down. She passed some fruit to her mate who growled at Badru, who kept throwing hot sand on his green legs.

"Badru! Do that again and you'll lose that hand!" Nak'Aru barked angrily as he brushed the bothersome sand away. "Act like an adult, you're 32 years old!"

"But it's fun!" his son cackled but ran off before his father could throw a dagger at him. Running through the pear colored sand, he smacked the back of Nak-De's head, who'd currently been drinking from a cup while talking to a random attractive female and spilled it over her. The potential breeder walked off angrily while Nak-De sulked from embarrassment and then roared at his younger brother.

"I'm going to kill you, Badru!" he roared and chased the younger male around the shore. Ani-De stood next to Kila and Sri'shan while watching the exchange while grinning. Nak-De ran by him and yelled, "Wipe that smirk off your face or I'm kicking your ass too!"

"Nak-De! Children are here!" his mother reprimanded him and hissed, "Calm down and go play with your nephews."

Nak-De stopped in his rant and stared in his mother in disbelief. Instead of arguing, his yellow eyes narrowed at Badru and he stomped off to kick sand onto Aru'Kar, who was happily basking on his stomach in the nude. The sun made their skin more vibrant from the natural sunlight and he wanted to get as much as possible before leaving.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm relaxing here!" his older brother barked and punched his leg. Nak-De growled back but sat down next to him grumpily. Aru'Kar sighed and said, "There's many females out there in the universe, don't worry."

"As long as they don't hear about my slippery fingers" he grumbled as his brother wiped the sand off of him. "Damn sibling."

Aru'Kar began to sit up but Zia yelled, "You better put on a loincloth, Aru'Kar!"

Grumbling, he listened as Sali'ah laughed at him from Zia's side. The males had worn simple loincloths to the warm environment while the females wore tube tops wrapped from behind and long skirts. Nak-De kept grumbling for a minute before standing and pointing at Iliana.

"Training, now!" he told her while she stared at him in blank confusion. "Are you deaf? Get up!"

"Look what you did, now he's pissed at me!" Iliana scolded Badru, who gave her a sugary smile. Handing an unhappy Aloun'Da to Sali'ah, she pointed at him, "That's not going to work on me, brother."

"Nak-De, relax!" Sali'ah ordered her brother but he yanked Iliana who instantly kicked him in the stomach. He released her from the force of her kick but reached for her again. Iliana ducked and grabbed a handful of sand which she threw into his eyes. He hissed instantly and both present toddlers giggled at their uncle.

"All right, you win!" he barked and wiped at his stinging eyes. He stopped his attacks and pointed to where he thought Iliana was, which was way off. "Quick thinking, that's good. Now, if you'd kindly push me in the direction of the water."

Grinning at his change in attitude, she turned him around and pushed him in the right direction. He walked crookedly towards the shore blindly and accidentally plowed through the children's sandcastle. They stared at their creation in devastation with open mouths and threw their tools at their uncle's back.

"Who did that?!" he demanded instantly with a growl.

"You ruined our castle!" Kila shouted angrily at her brother. "I should kick your big butt into the water!"

"You couldn't even hit me if both my hands were tied" he mocked and headed quickly into the water to wash his face. Kantra stared at his younger brother while Leitjin hung from his back with drenched long black hair that covered most of his face.

"You have no way with children" Kantra laughed while his brother clicked his throat in annoyance. Then in a brotherly tone, he said, "I hope you'll help rebuild it. They worked hard on it."

"I teach pups, I don't coddle them" he growled after he got his sight back. Looking at his older brother, he admitted, "I admire you, I don't think I'd be able to handle all that yanking and begging. I'm more of a male that will let the mother do all the raising and coddling."

"It's not bad, I like being needed" Kantra shrugged and dunked Leitjin in the water again who laughed happily. "Besides, they're my legacy, I'll give them everything they will possibly need. They'll remember me, not my rank and honor."

"Spoken like an honorable sire" his brother nodded and looked back to the shore, "I've always admired you since childhood so I might as well listen. But if they throw sand at me like your mate, they're getting spanked."

_So she's the one who blinded him_, he thought humorously.

"They're not my pups, but Sali'ah will beat you if touch hers, not to mention Sau-Trul" Kantra informed as Nak-De left to return to the shore.

Sri'shan and Kila were gathering more sand when Nak-De brought them a pail full of it. They smiled at him quickly and began rebuilding their ruined fortress. The two didn't even scold him about it as long as he kept gathering sand. Nak-De sighed in defeat and sat down next to them to help.

"You look like an overgrown pup" Badru said, coming back to his older brother. Patting Nak-De's head, who growled back, he grinned, "Need help there, big boy?"

"Does your brother have a death wish?" Sau-Trul asked his mate while watching the group. She sighed and patted his thigh gently.

"Just be glad he's not poking fun at you" she said simply. "He's the crazy one in the family. Probably missing a chromosome or something."

"Sali'ah, that's not nice" he warned, looking at his mate. She burst into laughter and ate a piece of fruit with a grin on her face.

"You knew that when you chose me as your mate, it's too late to back out now" she said defiantly and raised her chin. "I say things however I see fit. If I didn't, you'd still be single."

"Now I know where Kantra gets his stubbornness from" Sau-Trul stated, trying to rile her without giving much away. Looking at Iliana with his ruby eyed gaze, he asked, "Is your mate this way as well?"

"You don't know the half of it" she laughed, remembering his usual antics.

"I am not like Kantra, I taught him all he knows about attitudes and. .damn it" she began and then clicked her throat in irritation. She hit her mate's arm but pressed her cheek against it afterwards, "Must you always challenge me?"

"If I didn't, you'd grow bored of me" he pointed out simply but smiled at her.

"Ah, the beauty of yautja bonding" Zia said, smiling at Iliana. "It takes a while to understand but once you know it, you wonder how you lived without it."

"Are you speaking on the mental or sexual aspect of it?" Iliana asked in which Sali'ah curiously looked over with a grin.

"Both lead to the same solution" she answered coyly making the other women laugh.

"Why am I with the females?" Sau-Trul suddenly spoke up as he looked around the beach like a lost nomad. "I just realized that!"

"My brothers will probably be scared of you and my father's grouchy, take a pick" Sali'ah stated and grinned, "Unless you want to choose Badru over us."

"Uh. . ."

"We like to talk" Zia informed him with a smile.

"We have food too" Iliana enticed, holding out a food dish.

"And we're not scared of you" his mate finished with them.

". . .Pass the fruit please" he sighed but asked politely.

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"All right, time to go!" Aru'Kar yelled to all of them while waving a wooden stick.

"What're you, a harvester?" Nak-De mocked him, which in turn got his head hit by said stick. "Ow! You pauk-de!"

"Uncle Nak-De cursed!" Sau'Nak told his mother instantly.

"My ears, my innocent ears!" Aru'Dre wailed sarcastically.

"You, once we return to the Ade'k'ra, you're on double shift for classes for a week" Nak'Aru reprimanded his son who nodded grumpily. "Now, watch your language in front of the pups. I don't want them using filthy language until they're old enough."

"Nak'Aru!" Bai'Kar scolded him for his last sentence. He simply shrugged and ushered her so she could tend to their daughter, who was throwing sand at Ani-De. The medic did the same as the two fought and their mother quickly put an end to it.

"Yes, father" Nak-De responded, feeling like a pup again who disappointed his sire. Then tried to bargain, "I built a sandcartle or whatever the heck it's called, don't I deserve compensation?"

"They were family so. . .no" his father said simply and left to rejoin his mate who was scolding Kila for dirtying both her swimsuit and clothes. Ani-De quietly sneaked away before he could get yelled at as well and rejoined his twin as he left.

Kahet played in the water while holding Aloun'Da, who giggled happily as their mother watched them. Kantra was trying to dry Leitjin who kept wriggling away and throwing himself back into the cool water again. Aru'Dre watched him and did the same which made Aru'Kar groan in annoyance.

"I am not a male who deals with these things!" he groaned and called out to his mate to come instead.

"Throw the ball, Sau'Nak!" Aru'Dre called to his cousin who'd already gotten dressed. Unlike Aru'Dre, the boy listened to everything his parents told him and obeyed. Sau'Nak sighed and threw it quickly. His younger cousin caught it carefully and yelled, "Careful, you'll pop it!"

Aru'Dre threw it at Leitjin who grabbed the ball and hit his father on the head with it. Iliana laughed at her mate's irritated expression while water dripped down his face and grabbed the ball to give it to Kahet. She picked up Aloun'Da who whined instantly and reached for the water but Iliana took her out. She whimpered and splashed at the water desperately with her small fingers.

"Daddy!" Aloun'Da cried to her father instantly. Kantra smiled and scooped his tearful daughter up from Iliana who shook her head.

"I'll take care of her, you get the boys" he told her as his daughter clung onto him while drying her watery eyes. Kantra purred to her so she would get calm as Iliana kissed her daughter's forehead and left to look after the boys.

"No fair, I get three, you get the baby" she scolded with a grin as she walked away. Kantra simply gave her a grin himself as he turned away.

He left with the whimpering Aloun'Da who waved goodbye to her mother while biting her little claws. Iliana returned it with a fond smile and turned to look at the three boys.

"All right, time to leave unless you want the water monsters catching you" Iliana said and clapped her hands to catch their attention. The three boys stared at her in skepticism.

"There's no water monsters" Aru'Dre scoffed and splashed Kahet. "If so, Grandma would've warned us."

"Don't splash me!" Kahet growled and splashed him back.

_Guess I'll have to use a scare tactic_, she thought. _They like scary stuff now anyway._

"That's before the sun goes down" she said in a darker voice. "But once it does, the border protecting this section from the rest of the ocean is taken away. That's when all the large monsters come here to swim and look for food, especially young prey."

"R-Really?" Leitjin asked, nervously. He moved closer to his mother and forgot about being a clever seven year old. He didn't want to get eaten.

"Yes, that's why we have to hurry and leave before they come in to feed" she said, looking over the horizon for emphasis. "Unless you want to see them up close. Not even Young Bloods can stand up to them."

"Um. . .maybe we better go" Kahet said, eyeing the water cautiously. "I don't want to be sea food."

"Me neither, I'm out of here!" Aru'Dre yelled and ran fast towards the shore. Once upon it, he grabbed the sand happily, "I'll never kick you again for being itchy!"

Iliana sighed in victory and led the boys to shore so they could get dressed. Badru then headed towards the water, in which Leitjin stopped his uncle quickly by grabbing his leg.

"No, uncle! The monsters will eat you!" he cried to him. Badru stared at him confused.

"What monsters?" he asked, looking around.

"You know" Iliana told him and made hand gestures so he could follow along. "The monsters that come out at dusk to feed onshore and if little boys don't get out, they'll be eaten."

"Oh! Those!" Badru recalled, slapping his forehead. Looking at the children, he explained eerily, "I had a friend who never believed the tale and stayed here once when we were pups. The next morning, all they found was the bone necklace he carried around his neck. They never found his body."

"Eh!" Leitjin whimpered and grabbed his brother's arm. Aru'Dre also grabbed him in return.

"All right, I'm not a toy!" Kahet said quickly and took them both away by their arms. Iliana sighed and looked at Badru.

"Thanks, they really didn't want to leave" she smiled at him in relief. "Good story."

"I didn't lie, it was true!" Badru said, surprising Iliana. She then looked over the coast suspiciously and walked backwards. Badru burst out laughing and wrapped an arm around her shoulders while his gold eyes twinkled merrily. Thrilling amusingly, he said, "Just kidding! You believed it, didn't you?"

Iliana glared but laughed in return. A minute later, she yelled, "Nak-De! Badru's insulting your teaching skills!"

Nak-De turned around instantly from where he stood talking to his twin. Badru stared at Iliana and said, "Good one. You're learning! Now, if you wouldn't mind stepping aside so I can run for my life. . ."

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A week later, Kantra had gathered his family on a high grassy hill while the second orange sun hovered by itself over the orange-lilac horizon. Eventually, the sky would stay a deep maroon color throughout the night until sunrise when it would return to its light red-orange color. Kantra sat on the cool grass while Iliana cuddled up to his side and had her arms wrapped over his waist. Kahet trained with his small weapons nearby while Leitjin watched him in awe. Aloun'Da kneeled on the ground while yanking grass into her hands to throw around.

"Aloun'Da, respect nature" Kantra instructed his daughter in his fatherly tone. Her mahogany colored face stared in puzzlement while her green eyes blinked. "Never harm something that doesn't harm you."

"What if it's on accident?" Iliana asked him and rested the back of her head against his upper arm. "What happens then?"

"You apologize for your behavior and move on" he stated simply as his daughter walked over clumsily to sit by them. Kantra tickled her sides playfully making her squeal happily as she squirmed away from him. With a smile, he added, "One must remain courteous."

"Hmm, that's funny, you came after me like a madman on fire when I hit you on accident" she chuckled and grabbed her daughter into her lap. Aloun'Da purred happily to her mother who tickled her nose in return as she stopped her laughter.

"I was pissed off at the entire universe! You can't blame me" he laughed at her questioning glance and grinned smugly, "I was an exception!"

"No, you weren't!" she objected, pursing her lips and furrowing her brows. "Crazy hunter man."

"That you love with an undying devotion" he pointed out cheekily and squeezed her shoulders in a hug. She laughed and leaned up to kiss his cheek tenderly.

"Always, handsome man" she agreed fondly while chuckling.

"Father, look!" Kahet called out and Kantra listened. His son threw his small hunting knife into the bark of a tree nearby and embedded it there. He smiled excitedly at him, "I aimed and did it!"

"Good, the more you sharpen your skills, the more ready you will be when it comes time for your Chiva" his father nodded impressively. Looking at his younger son who sat by himself, he asked, "What about you, Leitjin?"

He hesitated as he looked over one of his brother's sharp knives in his hands, "I don't know, I get nervous sometimes when I hold them."

"You'll learn in time, son" Kantra assured while Leitjin looked down bashfully.

_I hope so_, Leitjin thought. _Because the Hunt doesn't appeal to me much like it does to Kahet. I don't really like it._

Aloun'Da wiggled out of her mother's arms to walk over the field on her own. Kantra nuzzled his face against Iliana's neck as her fingertips reached up to trail over his neck. Pulling one of his dreads playfully, he rumbled his chest softly against her back.

"What is your fascination with my hair?" he asked and yanked her locks in return. She smacked his hand afterwards and he grinned, "See, you don't like it."

"I do it because I like your hair, it's cool looking" she laughed and pulled another lock. "It looks nice and shiny with your clasps only while humans have to style it constantly throughout their entire lives. I don't like the whole procedure but it still looks nice."

"I see. . .so where's our food?" he asked, changing the subject and letting her indulge with her study over his hair. "I'm hungry already after training with Aru'Kar today."

"You? I trained with Nak-De and still haven't eaten" she pointed out and smiled up at him, "So, now that we each have gotten stronger, do you think I could take you on? I could barely stay steady and level-headed in a fight with you years ago."

"Maybe in a few years" he smirked in which she slapped his leg. "Ow! You really hate being undermined, don't you?"

"Next week, underneath the tree, sundown" she declared instantly and he sighed but nodded. "Don't go easy on me either."

"But I could hurt my petite mate and I adore her" he teased making her growl slightly. Squeezing her form against his, he laughed, "You got a sparring match, despite my disapproval since you are a female and my mate!"

"It's not like you've never broken the rules" she stated and smiled in content. "You're a rebel, dear."

"Am I? Is that why Sau-Trul didn't believe me at first about being an Arbitrator?" he grinned, faking confusion.

"That and all the name calling you did" she laughed as she watched her daughter bring back flowers in her little hands. Iliana grabbed her as she settled into her mother's lap. "What's that you got there, princess?"

"Mama, Daddy" she giggled and gave the flowers to her parents eagerly. Iliana looked at the assortment of miniscule flowers ranging in colors from fuchsia to a sky blue. She smelled the faint sweet scent of them and smiled, "Thank you, sweetheart. I love them, so does your father."

"Very true" he chuckled and placed a flower stem underneath one of the black clasps tying her locks. Iliana smiled at his gesture as he purred to her, "The flowers pale in comparison to all of you", then to Aloun'Da, "Thank you, my little one".

"Daddy" she purred softly as he tickled her chin. He purred in return and hugged her tiny body gently against his.

"Look, the stars have come out!" Leitjin yelled and looked at the stars with his human eyesight. Just like Earth, Iliana watched the similar white glittering stars over the maroon sky peacefully.

_I wonder if Earth is one of them_, she thought. _Am I looking at the star of my planet here while other humans may see this planet as one out there?_

"I'm hungry!" Kahet called to his mother as he put his weapons away in a satchel.

"Me too!" Leitjin added as he stood up eagerly for his meal.

"Mama!" Aloun'Da included quickly and pointed to the basket they'd brought.

"Give the children what they want, my star" Kantra grinned at her as she stood up.

"Are you one of those included?" she teased as she placed Aloun'Da into his arms, who instantly cuddled up to her father. He stretched his mandibles towards Iliana eagerly making her sigh, "Fine, but don't eat all the food this time!"

"I never make that promise" he pointed out as Aloun'Da hugged him. "You knew that when you bonded with me."

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End of **Chapter 13**. Thanks for reading and for my last reviews, they're always appreciated. So the family's still on the planet and they'll be there for one more chapter before returning to the Ade'k'ra as the story finishes. I'm still not sure whether to start the sequel after this or finish my other story on hiatus. If you have a choice, you can leave it on a review as I try to reach a decision.


	14. My Brother, My Protector

CHAPTER 14:

**My Brother, My Protector**

Weeks later, Kantra's family had gotten used to living on the homeworld and began to feel miserable about leaving it behind. With their last weeks coming, the children began to explore as much as they could under supervision. They wanted to remember everything about it: the sights, smells, and sounds, until they could return in twenty years. Now, the family ate their morning meal at a little past sunrise in order to begin their daily tasks.

"You're sure you can't take one of the children, Kantra?" Iliana asked hopeful. Both of their son looked up with eager looks as they awaited their father's answer.

"Positive, this meeting will take a while so I'm pretty sure no one could look after the boys" Kantra said, shaking his head and his sons sulked. "Besides, I already promised to take all of you into the city next week."

"I can't wait" Leitjin said as he ate quietly but kicked his legs enthusiastically.

"Who'll be at the meeting?" Kahet asked eagerly as he looked at his father. "Warriors, Elders, Arbitrators?"

"Just a meeting with the High Elder about our progress over the years" Kantra explained to his son. Then with an inquisitive grin, "Do you remember the differences between Elder ranks?"

"Um. . .a Low Elder governs a ship from the clan like Elder Lar'Ain and other Elders throughout space" Kahet said, furrowing his brows in thought while he tapped his claws on the table. Kantra nodded and waited for him to continue, "And the High Elder. . um. .he governs over. .um. .oh! He governs over the entire clan itself and the Grand Elder oversees the entire yautja society."

"Very good, Kahet" his father nodded impressed and gave him a treat from one of Iliana's table jars. Kahet grabbed it happily while Iliana voiced a complaint from where she fed Aloun'Da. "He deserved it, Ana."

"What about me?" Leitjin asked, grabbing his father's wrist so he wouldn't be left out.

"All right, let's see" Kantra said and thought of something for his youngest son. "What is the most prized trophy in our clan?"

"A Kainde Amedha?" Leitjin asked unsurely and clasped his hands together nervously.

"Right! Here you go" his father chuckled and gave him a treat as the boy sighed in relief. Kantra patted his back but warned in a fatherly tone, "You must study, Leitjin."

"I know but. . ." he began but shook his head, not ready to reveal his feelings. "I will, father."

_I don't really like hunting_, Leitjin thought and ate his treat quietly.

"Okay, enough treats, I don't want you hyped on sugar" their mother ordered and looked at Kantra, "And you say I spoil them."

"They deserve it" he shrugged and stood up to stretch. Looking out the nearby open window, he sighed, "Well, I better get ready to leave before the sun is fully risen."

"Be careful, all right?" Iliana said quickly and wagged a finger.

"The city is very peaceful, Iliana" he said, comforting her. "It's basically a place for knowledge and our judicial branch mostly. Scholars and lawmakers live there along with our Elders. It's common to see the executive bodies like Arbitrators go there to meet with them. Even if something were to happen, you must trust in my skills."

"I do, it's strangers I don't trust" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just do what you must and return here so we can relax."

"I will and take the children to Sali'ah's to play" he smiled at her and ruffled each of his children's hair playfully. Kahet complained and reached up to fix it while Leitjin laughed.

"Daddy!" Aloun'Da purred and tugged at her father's hand for similar affection. He nuzzled her little face with his and let go.

"We better have another pup soon" Kantra grinned to his mate as he passed her.

"No, you promised I could take long since I'll live longer" she smirked and ate her food. Aloun'Da reached for her plate and Iliana gave her a small bite. "Besides, I want to give my current babies all my attention."

"I'm not a baby, I'm 11!" Kahet mumbled as he finished eating. Then pouted, "I'm still hungry, mother."

"Not a baby, eh?" she chuckled and grabbed his plate to refill it nonetheless.

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"Aren't you taking any armor?" Iliana asked her mate as she entered their large bedroom. Kantra wore a simple gray tunic with a long loincloth. He tied his hair into a high ponytail as he watched her. She smiled at his gaze and noticed he looked more handsome with his hair up, which he rarely wore it in since he liked it free.

"I have my ki'cti'pa gauntlet on" he said, showing her his right arm. "I also hid some daggers in my tunic, just in case. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

_I forget how deadly he is sometimes_, she chuckled mentally.

"Good, I want you home safely on time" she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. Smoothing his soft tunic with her hands afterwards, she smiled, "You look so handsome when you're dressed like this. I'm used to seeing you in loincloths and mesh only, I forget how scrumptious you can look. "

"I thought you liked me better in the nude" he purred and kissed her gently. "I'm glad you find me 'scrumptious'. If I could ignore this meeting, I would rather do something more. . .creative."

"Mating?" she stated dryly making him chuckle. "Too bad, there's no time for that now."

"Not even a quickie?" he whined and furrowed his brow rides. She laughed and caressed his lower mandibles in sympathy. Groaning, he said, "When I return, you better be in our bed, nude as the day you were born while holding a bottle of alcohol. Better yet, use one of my spears and dance provocatively with it while I watch you."

"How do you come up with these things?" Iliana laughed and held her sides. "You'd think after all our years, we'd run out of things and positions to use!"

"You know me better than that" he purred and held her smaller form closer to his chest, "I'll always find something new to try out. I'm a yautja, we _love_ mating." Nibbling on her cheek, he said, "And you love it, don't you, my dear?"

"Yes" she muttered as he smiled triumphantly. His teeth moved down her neck until they rested on the bottom of it near her clavicle. Knowing it was one of her spots, he nipped at the area and held her closer. She sighed and tried not to react to his caresses, "You're supposed to leave, Kantra."

"You said no _mating_, I didn't hear anything against this" he pointed out and purred against her skin. Her hands wrapped around his neck to bring him closer as he smiled, "You wouldn't want to deprive us both from this, would you? It's very satisfying. I have a boring meeting, you could give me something to make it better."

"We can't mate, you're not about to leave me all fired up and then walk out" she complained and bit his neck in small bites. He clicked his throat pleasurably as she reminded, "You did that once and I had to finish the job myself! So no more teasing!"

"But I love to tease you" he said playfully as she glared. Nibbling on her lips softly, he said, "Don't you just love my caresses as I whisper naughty things into your ear? You shiver every time I do that, don't you, Iliana? By the time I'm halfway there, you're begging me to take you."

"You. . .you. ." she mumbled as his teeth bit her ear gently and his claws traced over her lips. Her body felt aroused easily by his simple and soft touches against her skin. Oh, how she hated when he teased her, he was always the victor. "Kantra."

"I love it when you say my name" he growled pleasurably as he traced his tongue over the edges of her ear. Tilting her head so her eyes could meet his, he said, "Say it."

"Kantra" she obeyed and grabbed his hand in order to bite his fingertips with her teeth. His chest rumbled at the sensation and he groaned softly when she sucked the end of his index finger in her mouth. Without breaking eye contact, she let go and bit his palm once. Smiling, she teased, "Don't you love the way I can tease any part of your body? I bet you'll miss it in the meeting. How my mouth would kiss the sensitive areas of your neck or how I'd take you in my hands as my tongue licks your manhood over and over-"

"You're getting good at it" he grunted as he placed her body over one of their tables. Throwing the things on it aside, he bit her lips as his hips grinded against hers. Iliana whimpered as his aroused member pressed against her entrance and was glad they were both still clothed. His hands squeezed her butt while his mouth sought hers to give her an open mouth kiss. She returned it as his tongue went over hers in a hasty frenzy in which she moaned happily. Pressing her body down onto the table, he continued their kiss session as he crushed her body under his torso. She groaned from the pressure and perfect contact to his body as she fought her mind to not throw herself at him. Letting go, Kantra leaned up on his elbows and nipped at her lips to whisper, "When I return, you will do the things you just uttered."

"I plan on it" Iliana said as she nibbled on one of the spots on his neck. He purred in effect and squeezed one of her breasts in his hand. She smacked his hand away to say, "No touching below the neck. It'll bring us both to a point of no return."

"Why must you torture me like this?" he whispered huskily into her soft neck and licked it slowly. "I need you, Iliana."

"You can have me when you return" she said and kissed his chin. Giving him a coy smile, she said, "Besides, you need a taste of your own medicine so now you can feel like I do when you leave me like that."

"Bad Iliana" he scolded teasingly and pressed his forehead against hers. With a grin, he said, "You know I'm the bad one out of us both."

"Of course, but I can have my fun too" she giggled and kissed him. "We need to calm down so you can leave. I don't want you to be late."

"This is worth being late" Kantra said and pressed his hips against hers again. Her body pushed up against his and he nipped on her throat while she groaned in protest. He smiled and purred, "What do you need from me, my star? Tell me."

His touches overloaded her senses easily but she managed to get a hold of herself to say, "Go to the meeting."

"Arrgh! Fine, I'll obey!" he grunted in disapproval and let go of her to stand up straight. Iliana smiled and tried to shake her body out of its aroused stupor. Smoothing out her dress, she got off the table to pat her mate on the back.

"I'll do anything you want tonight" she promised and grabbed his hand to kiss the top of it as she eyed him, "And I mean anything."

"You drive me wild, Iliana" he said, giving her a pleased look. Leaning in, he kissed her deeply and continued, "And I am never disappointed after our romps in bed. I will wait for you till tonight and we will not go to sleep for many hours. You won't be able to walk at all by the time I'm through with you."

"Good, now I need to take a cold shower" she mumbled, more to herself. Kantra groaned and crossed his arms as he looked at her.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm dressed and your scent's making my body hectic" Kantra growled in distaste and waved at the air for emphasis.

"Go do what I did" she said with an evil smile. "Finish it yourself."

She left the room while he gave her backside a flabbergasted look. He growled to himself and wondered what to do to her as payback when he returned.

"I'll get you back, my lovely!" he declared, smelling her sweet scent in the room again. "I'll always be the victor in our teasing and you'll be screaming my name by the time I'm done until you're mute." Looking down at his obvious erection, he growled, "Go away! She's not here anymore! We lost our chance!"

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"You're dead, I caught you!" Bakuub said cheerfully as he pinned Aru'Dre onto the warm grass. Aru'Dre squirmed under the thirteen-year old boy's hold and growled.

"No!" he objected and Bakuub let him up while he adjusted the weapons he held in his small belt. The younger male dusted himself off and complained, "I was a Kainde Amedha queen with ultra tough armor plating along with a 30 foot acid blood spit range!"

"That's impossible! No Queen has that" Sau'Nak objected, looking at his sore loser of a cousin while he held a small wooden spear. The boys had been playing for a few hours at Sali'ah's home while wearing their child sized hunter's outfits and weapons. It was amusing to see the miniature hunters act out scenes that would come true in later years when they were fully grown males.

"Well, mines did!" Aru'Dre shouted back. Turning his back to them, he grunted and crossed his arms arrogantly, "So too bad."

"You agreed to be a Kainde Amedha drone, not a Queen" Kahet reminded him as he watched Leitjin read a book nearby. Giving his cousin a smirk, he said, "So you lose."

"No fair!" he pouted and threw his knife on the grass. "How come I'm always prey?"

"Don't be a baby" Sri'shan snorted as he held a tablet to keep their scores while laying on his stomach over the grass. "You're the prey again until you kill someone."

"It's three against one, it'll never happen!" Aru'Dre shrieked and opened his arms to flail them. "Forget it!"

"Stop complaining and take it like a hunter" Bakuub snorted as the younger pup sulked.

"Kahet, we have to go!" Leitjin called out to his brother who groaned. He had already packed his things and stood near the path to take home, "Too bad, you promised to help me clean my room!"

"It's not fair" Kahet grumbled and fixed his weapons onto his belt while muttering complaints under his breath. "Fine, let's go!"

"See, now you can be the hard meat again" Bakuub grinned at Aru'Dre who flared his mandibles in anger. "Too bad, it's now two-on-one."

Aru'Dre let out an exasperated groan while Sri'shan pointed at him mockingly from afar where he held his tablet happily. Sau'Nak rolled his eyes and pushed his younger cousin out of the way so they could restart their game. Kahet nodded to his companions in farewell and walked over to Leitjin, who had his little knapsack ready to go for travel. The two boys walked over the paths of grass that had been indented over the centuries for travel guidance. The path to their home wasn't too far and they were used to walking it over the recent months. Kahet tucked his arms behind his head as the cool wind passed underneath the dense teal trees overhead. Leitjin walked slowly behind him while digging through his knapsack to get out some sweets.

"How come you never play Hunters with us, Leit?" Kahet asked, turning around to walk backwards as he stared at his brother.

"Um. . .I don't really feel like it" he excused quickly as he finally grabbed his bag of candy. He munched on some hard candy quickly to avoid the questioning.

"But it's fun, and one day you'll be a hunter too" his brother said, smiling. "You have to train for it or else you'll get killed in your Chiva."

"I don't want to die!" Leitjin retorted as his mouth chewed on the candy.

"Then practice with us" Kahet shrugged as his brother pouted. "In three years, I'll begin training and I plan to succeed. Then we can be hunters together like father was."

"Good for you then" he grumbled and nibbled on his treat while his eyes narrowed.

_I don't want to be a hunter_, he thought glumly. _Why do I have to be one? Kahet likes it way more than I do._

"Leit, look!" Kahet interrupted, snapping him out of his thoughts. Leitjin stared at where he pointed to see a small animal with coarse red skin with a long snout and big black almond-shaped eyes which stared at them curiously. Kahet grinned excitedly while Leitjin wondered if his brother wanted to touch or hunt the animal. With a grin, he said, "Let's follow it!"

"No, we have to get home!" Leitjin objected quickly and crossed his arms. "Forget it."

"Fine, you can go but I'm following it" Kahet informed him and followed the small critter that was now going into the bushes and away from their path. Kahet followed it carefully as he studied its movements and tried to understand its logic while keeping himself hidden behind the large olive green leaves of a nearby bush. Leitjin sighed from where he stood and growled as he grudgingly followed his older sibling into the darker path.

_I don't want to go but I'm not staying alone either_, he thought. _Why does he always have to go off on his own? Isn't he scared?_

He quickly scampered over to where he spotted his brother trailing the animal curiously. His bag made noise as it slapped against his side and the animal scurried away in fright into the darker trees in the area. Kahet stomped his foot in annoyance and followed the animal quickly as he beckoned his brother with his hand to follow along. Did Leitjin have to be so loud in the outdoors? Kahet made his way through the foliage easily while Leitjin smacked himself against large leaves and almost tripped over thick tree roots sticking up from the ground.

_No fair, he's graceful through the bushes while I look like an idiot_, Leitjin thought in self-pity. _He'll make a great hunter unlike me._

Kahet shook his head in disbelief up ahead and thought, _I'm surprised he hasn't woken up the forest by now. He really needs to train._

Dry leaves crunched under Leitjin's brown feet while he broke into a run to follow Kahet, who's outline was barely visible. He did not want to get lost in this unknown place by himself so he ran as fast as his seven year old legs could take him. Eventually, he crashed into Kahet from behind, who had almost caught the critter to keep as a pet, and they both rolled down the uneven dirt to fall onto another path below. The two brothers groaned as they wiped the ashy trails of dirt off their bodies and took out any twigs from their hair. Kahet glared at Leitjin for making them fall and picked up a round rock nearby to throw into the bushes nearby to vent.

_Brothers can be a pain sometimes!_, he thought as he hissed softly.

"I'm sorry, I thought I lost you" Leitjin apologized shyly and looked away. "I didn't want to get lost back there."

Kahet shook his head, easily forgiving him, and stood up in order to figure out where they had landed. The entire area was shadowed by dark bushes and towering trees while wildlife noises echoed through the wind. Leitjin felt uneasy and quickly got up to stay at his brother's side. Besides his parents, he only felt safe at his brother's side since he always protected him.

"Are we lost?" he asked, his eyes shifting nervously. Kahet stiffened and looked around the area without giving an answer. Leitjin grabbed the back of his brother's shirt to exclaim, "We're lost, aren't we? I'm sorry, Kahet!"

"We'll be fine" he stated firmly and grabbed his brother's jittery hand. "We'll just find the path over the area we fell from."

Leitjin walked after his brother pulled on his hand towards the sloped side they fell from. He began to run on it quickly after letting go of Leitjin, but the crumbly dirt gave way and he slid back down. Trying again, his fingers couldn't get a grip so he gave up in frustration.

"I'm sorry" Leitjin said, as if it would help their situation but he tried nonetheless. His brother stood up and wiped the dirt off his clothes. "Are you all right?"

"Fine" his brother sighed and looked over the slope. "Let's try to find a lower slope and try to climb it."

Leitjin nodded at his brother's idea since he had none of his own and besides. . .Kahet was much smarter and older than him anyway so he listened. He followed closely behind as he pushed back his hair to look into the unfamiliar territory with weary eyes. Kahet glanced at his nervous brother and wrapped a comforting arm over his shoulder to ease him.

"We'll be fine, all we have to do is find the path and keep heading straight to return" he spoke in a firm tone as his brother stared ahead nervously. "We'll be out before we know it."

"It's creepy in here, it's chirpy and dark" Leitjin whispered to him and held his knapsack closer for comfort. "We've never been in places like this without father."

"I'll protect you, Leit" Kahet assured him and gave him a reassuring smile. "I have my weapons in case of anything."

"But what if there's monsters in here?!" he gasped quickly to him with wide eyes. "They could hurt you and Father's been telling us all those scary tales about these places-"

"He probably did it to scare us, that's just the way he is" Kahet shrugged it off as they continued on their path. "He's done that since we were babies. Besides, if we tough it out, he'll be impressed."

_I bet he never did this at my age_, Kahet thought. _I'll make him proud._

"I can't wait to get home, I'm getting hungry" Leitjin said, feeling slightly better. "I'm going to ask mother to make a dessert and to have a bunch of food servings, no matter how rude it sounds."

"Good luck, father will eat it before we touch it" his brother laughed and he joined in as well. Their laughs echoed through the trees and they heard a howling noise in return. Leitjin jumped in fright and grabbed his brother's hand into his from fear. Kahet tried to see what was out there, despite it didn't sound close, but had no luck.

_Sometimes human vision is awful_, he thought. _I can't detect any life signatures! I could be prey and not even know it! Why couldn't I get father's sight?_

Hearing another howl, Leitjin quivered behind his older brother and squeezed his hand tightly. Kahet looked for an open path, finding one off to the left and decided to head through there.

"Let's go and find some shelter before whatever's out there becomes hungry" he ordered quickly and made sure his brother's hand was securely in his. "Run alongside me and don't stop."

Kahet took the lead in their run as Leitjin followed willingly and they both ran through the dense bushes. Leitjin watched his steps clumsily as he tried not to fall over anything that would hinder their escape. After a minute of running, however, Leitjin tripped over another uprooted tree root and fell down instantly. The air got knocked out of his lungs as he felt his knee get scraped and his palms slid on the gritty dirt firmly. He uttered a whimper but his brother picked him up quickly and resumed their previous action.

Kahet swiped any bothersome vegetation away and made a clear path that led to an area with brighter light while Leitjin dabbed his watery eyes with the back of his free hand. In a few minutes, they left whatever animal had howled behind and stopped in a rocky area with cracked patches of grass. The trees and bushes became scarce in the clearing as Kahet stopped to take in a deep breath and Leitjin massaged his aching legs. Seeing he had a scrape on his knee, he quickly wrapped a cloth from his bag around his leg after wiping dirt and blood away from it. Looking around, Kahet spotted a small cave at the back of the clearing.

"We should head there for cover" Kahet advised Leitjin who instantly looked at it in disapproval.

"No, we need to find a way back" he responded firmly and wiped his stinging hands on his shirt. "I don't want to be here, it's dangerous!"

"How can we? We're more lost now than before!" Kahet shot back in annoyance but took deep breaths to calm himself. He didn't want his brother more upset than he was. "We have to think of a plan."

"Why'd you have to follow that stupid animal?!" Leitjin yelled from fear and anger. "We should've just gone home! Now we're lost!"

"Me? You're the one that toppled us and got us lost!" Kahet yelled back and kicked a nearby stick to pent out his frustration. He hated the situation he was in and wondered how he could possibly get out of it.

_I could either try to find a way out and make it or get more lost_, he thought. _Or if I stay put, maybe we'll be found?_

"I want to go home" Leitjin sniffled and wiped his teary eyes. He held his bag close to his chest again as he sat down on the dirt hopelessly. Kahet sighed and glanced at his distressed sibling.

"Look, we can stay in that cave and hope someone finds us" he told Leitjin and kneeled down cautiously while watching the trees. "Or we can head out there again and possibly get more lost."

"That cave could have a monster!" he snapped back and looked over at the dark ominous cave. Crossing his arms in defiance, he muttered, "I'd rather stay here."

"And what if a predator sees you and tries to feed? Hmm?" Kahet demanded and pulled him up on his feet. "I'm not about to get eaten before my Chiva and neither are you."

Kahet pulled a reluctant Leitjin towards the cave and stopped at the mouth. Summoning up courage, he inhaled a lungful of air and let out his loudest roar, which sounded more like a yowl, into the cave and hoped Leitjin was right. The two waited at the mouth expecting the worst creature to leap onto to them hungrily but after waiting for five minutes in fearful suspense, they gave up. Kahet went into the dark cavern and made loud steps to make sure nothing was in there. Eventually, Kahet sat down on a boulder nearby and tried to relax. Leitjin still stood at the mouth of the cave warily as he tried not to shudder.

"Are you coming in or not? I don't want anything to eat you" Kahet spoke firmly. He didn't like being firm with him but the situation called for it, especially with his nerves.

_He's a nervous boy but he has to control it_, he thought. _I don't anything to happen to him one day because of it. I had to learn to control my emotions and he must too. _

"I sound like my father now" Kahet mumbled to himself. "Ew, I'm getting old."

Leitjin stepped into the cave quietly and sat near the entrance on the floor. He wanted to go home so badly and be with his family again. Next time, he'd forget about following Kahet on his crazy adventures and play it safe. Opening his knapsack, he got out his bag of treats and ate one with a shaky hand while holding back tears.

"It'll be fine, Leit" Kahet assured him as he laid down on his back on the boulder. "Someone will find us."

"And if they don't? We'll starve!" Leitjin cried and hugged himself in support. "We'll never see mother, father, or Lounda again!"

"Father won't let anything happen to us" Kahet insisted and looked outside. "Besides, you have snacks in your bag. That should sustain us till tomorrow."

"Great, now we have to sleep here" he mumbled grumpily. "Without a blanket or pillow. Not even with my toys!"

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"Zia! Aru'Kar!" Iliana called out urgently from the doorstep as she let Aloun'Da back on the ground to stand. "Are you there?"

The door opened a few moments later with Zia yanking a toy from a cranky Darpek nearby. She ushered Iliana in and she entered quickly.

"Zia, has Aru'Dre returned?" she asked, worried. Her two boys hadn't returned for hours and she was getting worried quickly, especially with Kantra gone.

"Yes, he's been here for a few hours" Zia said in a nod and pointed to her son who was eating in the next room. He looked up and waved at his aunt while food stained his brown face. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Why? Did he beat up someone again? I swear-"

"Kahet and Leitjin never came home" Iliana explained, her body stiffening in fear. "Sometimes they stay out a little but they never pass the curfew I set for them. They had chores to do and oh- I don't know where they are! I spoke to Sali'ah and she said they left hours ago."

"Have you checked the area?" she asked instantly and called out for Aru'Kar.

"Yes, I've been searching the path they always take and Badru did too!" she nodded frantically and felt tears swell in her eyes. "What if something's happened? How can I find them in this wilderness, Zia?!"

"We'll find them, don't worry" she said and hugged Iliana's shaking form. Looking down at her niece, she smiled, "Aloun'Da, go play with the boys while I talk with your mother."

Aloun'Da stared at her upset mother and was about to shake her head but Iliana nodded to her positively. Slowly, she walked into the next room where Darpek gave her a toy while her mother wiped her eyes and tried to calm herself again.

"I thought it would be safer for them here and now they're lost!" Iliana said, more to herself though. "I'm such an idiot sometimes. A mother should know better than this."

"Mistakes happen, don't blame yourself" she said and squeezed her shoulder softly. "It'll be all right."

"What's this about lost pups?" Aru'Kar interrupted them. Seeing Iliana in distress, he asked quickly, "Are the boys lost?"

"Yes, I can't find them and they should've been home hours ago" Iliana explained quickly. "I would've gone out to find them but I can't bring Aloun'Da. Badru's looking and he went to get the twins so I'm going to go join them, that is, if Aloun'Da can stay here?"

"Of course! Just find them" Zia nodded and looked at her mate. "Will you help them, please?"

"As if I'd let my nephews be in distress" he teased and looked at Iliana, "Give me a minute to grab my weapons and we're off."

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"Aww, and I thought it couldn't get any worse!" Leitjin groaned as he felt showers sprinkle outside and fall onto his body. He stood and walked over to where Kahet was rubbing two sticks together over a bushy looking nest. Curiously, he kneeled down, "What are you doing?"

"Making fire" he stated simply without stopping in his concentration. "Mother learned it on her homeworld and showed me. I don't know if I'm doing it right but I'm trying."

"They're sticks, no one can make fire from that! It's impossible!" he scoffed and smiled, "Now, if we had a caster of sort, then we could."

"Well, we don't" he snapped and tried to light his sticks but to no avail. "Arrgh! How do humans do this?"

"I believe the term is ooman" Leitjin corrected.

"I don't care! I'll combine and speak Yautglish" Kahet exclaimed and glared at his failed experiment. "If those showers turn into a storm, it'll make it harder for anyone to find us. We need a signal of sort."

_He's right or we're goners!_, Leitjin thought in realization.

He grabbed Kahet's sticks instantly and gave them back to him. With a determined look on his round face, he said, "Don't stop. If anyone can do it, you can."

"I'm tired and we haven't eaten in hours" Kahet sighed and looked at the knapsack. "How much food do you have left?"

"Not much, just snacks" he answered and gave him a small ration. "You need the energy more than me."

"Thanks" Kahet smiled and ate the sweet tasting treat slowly to conserve it. "How's your leg?"

"It stings but it's all right" Leitjin said and looked at his bandaged knee. "I need to clean it though or yucky bacteria can settle in."

"Hmm, hold on a minute" he said and ran outside into the rain to pull off a leaf the size of his arm from a nearby plant. Cleaning it with the falling rain, he made a hammock shape out of the leaf and collected water into it. After filling it halfway, he carried it back carefully.

"What's that for?" Leitjin asked, confused. "Is that supposed to help us?"

"No, hunters need to improvise and use the natural resources around them to survive" Kahet explained to him and drank some water quickly. It tasted like river water but he didn't care as long as his body was replenished, he could worry about bacteria later. "Uncle Nak-De told me about this technique so here, drink."

Kahet tipped the leaf into Leitjin's mouth so he could rehydrate his body while they waited. Returning back outside afterwards, he captured more water and brought it back.

"Clean your cut with this" Kahet ordered and motioned with one mandible towards the bandage. "Take it off and wash your injury."

Leitjin unwrapped his bandage and winced as the dry cut stuck onto dried blood on the cloth. After taking it off, Kahet dropped water onto the cut and Leitjin carefully cleaned off any dirt and blood off of it before it became infected. He let the cut dry before placing a cleaner side of the cloth over his cut to wrap it. Kahet then returned to trying to create a successful fire.

After almost an hour and many trials, Kahet lay on the floor with throbbing fingers but also an accomplished smile. Leitjin stared at the small fire in intrigue as he placed his hands near it to get warm.

_He actually made a fire!_, he thought as his hands warmed up.

"This will help us for sure" he said, filled with hope again. "You're a genius, Kahet."

_He's always amazed by the slightest things_, Kahet thought warmly.

"It's nothing" he chuckled and grinned at him. "I won't let anything happen to you, little brother."

"I know and I'm sorry I yelled at you before" Leitjin said, ashamed. "I messed everything-"

"Don't blame yourself, I shouldn't have followed that dumb animal at all" Kahet said and waved it off. "Relax for now."

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A few hours later, which felt like days to the poor boys, the rain stopped but the sky remained cloudy. However, one sun still shined in the sky and gave the boys some light in the cave. The fire still kept burning in the center of the cave and illuminated faintly over the dark gray walls.

"I'm sleepy, it feels like forever" Leitjin sighed as he cuddled up against a cold boulder near the fire. Despite the humidity after the rain, he still felt cold due to the situation.

"Sleep, I'll take watch" Kahet told him as he glanced outside the cave and leaned against one of the walls.

Leitjin shook his head and dug into his bag to pull out a reading tablet. He wasn't a boy that was into disciplining his body like his brother, but more of one of the mind. He loved to read for many hours at a time while his brother trained instead and always felt guilty when his father asked him to train too. He hated training and usually gave up and cuddled up with a reading tablet when his father wasn't looking. He knew his chances to be a good hunter were slim, but he couldn't force himself to like it no matter what he tried. Weapons, prey, traveling, strategy, none of it appealed to him! Sooner or later, he'd have to tell his father and face his upset reaction. Sighing in disappointment, he continued to entertain himself with a tablet about medicinal herbs.

"How can you read that?" Kahet asked, looking over his shoulder with a frown. "That would put me to sleep instantly. .Oh! I get it, you're using it to get you to sleep!"

"No! I like reading this!" he said, defensively. Holding the slate to his chest as if it were a private treasure, he admitted, "It's interesting."

_It's not boring_, Leitjin thought. _I like it. There's so much knowledge about our world and others in the universe!_

"I'd rather learn about prey" his brother said simply. "And where they live so I can hunt them one day!"

"I don't have to like everything you and the others like" he pointed out in a huff.

"How can you not love the Hunt? It's everything we live for!" Kahet said, ecstatic. His green eyes twinkled in excitement while his brother's hazel eyes looked bored. "One day you'll-"

ROOOOAARR!

The sound broke off Kahet's sentence as they heard an animal stomp into the clearing noisily. The two boys couldn't see it but they quickly stood up and pressed their bodies against the wall in silence. Leitjin began to breathe in quickly from panic while Kahet grabbed his hand into his.

"What do we do?" Leitjin hissed quietly in fear. He whimpered lowly as he clung to his brother.

"It hasn't seen us but the fire will attract it" Kahet answered and wondered what he could do. He was scared as well but he had to keep his mind clear. "We could put it out but it could come in here or it will even if we don't. Or we could run for it and hope it doesn't chase us."

"How big is it?" he whimpered and closed his eyes.

"I don't know but it sounded bigger than us" his brother sighed as he heard the creature's grunts creep closer to their cave. Looking around quickly, he pulled Leitjin from the wall as he led them over to the biggest boulder that could provide them cover. "Hide well and when it comes in here, we'll run when it's not looking."

"What if it eats us?" Leitjin trembled but listened to his brother. His brother hushed him as he heard sniffs from the mouth of the cave. Leitjin stared straight at the wall and stood stiffly like his brother ordered to. He'd have to trust Kahet since he knew more tactics than he.

Kahet pressed his body against the boulder and hoped the creature's vision wasn't in the infrared spectrum. Turning his head quietly, he saw the dark outline of a creature that was higher than his waist with four legs, slick black skin with scales, four red eyes, and a snout that contained sharp teeth. It sniffed over the dirt of the cave and wobbled along towards the fire.

_That thing's not small_, Kahet thought. _If I don't time this right, it can catch us._

The animal headed to the back of the cave as he held his breath to make his move. Seeing that the creature's interest was held elsewhere, Kahet ran quickly and pulled his brother along over the dirty ground of the cave. The two siblings bolted outside where the sun shone lightly for dusk would be approaching soon. Kahet ran in the direction they had originated from and pushed back the soaked leaves out of his way. Leitjin glanced back every few seconds and sighed in relief when nothing moved behind him.

"I think we lost it! I don't see-" he started but stopped when he heard fast and heavy footsteps behind him. He turned quickly to see the creature tearing through the foliage with its red eyes targeting him. Leitjin ran faster and almost tied with Kahet's pace as they tried to outrun it. "It's still coming!"

"I know that! We need to throw it off our path!" Kahet yelled as he breathed quickly. He swerved to the right and began a zigzag pattern to see if it would stop it. Unfortunately, it still followed but it slowed a bit due to their change in course. He ran faster to see if their speed could throw them off his sight.

"I'm getting tired!" Leitjin said, struggling in his pace. "I'm not used to running this fast!"

"You can do it, stay with me!" Kahet ordered him and tightened his grip. Leitjin nodded but his legs burned after all of their running today and breathed air into his lungs as he panted. Kahet was tiring as well, after playing in the morning and running today as well, but he had to keep his willpower to overcome this.

_I am not about to be eaten by prey!_, he thought. _I have to protect Leitjin or I won't forgive myself._

"I really wished you ran your training laps right about now!" Kahet yelled as he felt Leitjin slack in his pace. His brother closed his eyes and let him lead the way. "Keep running!"

"I can't, my legs are getting stiff" Leitjin wheezed as he tried to follow. His mind was ordering his body to run but it wouldn't, it couldn't!

_Run! I don't want to get mauled!_, his mind screamed. _Run! Just a few more paces!_

Leitjin's foot suddenly slipped into a mud puddle and his body collapsed involuntarily. His muscles ached sorely as he fell onto his stomach and tried to push himself back up. Since Kahet held his hand, he fell down onto his back and his head hit the floor hard which made it dizzy instantly. He rolled to his side and quickly stood to pull his brother who wouldn't budge.

"My legs hurt" Leitjin groaned as he tried to run but to no avail.

"I'll carry you! Get on, quickly!" Kahet said and kneeled down so he could climb onto his back.

"I'll slow us down!" his brother shot back.

"Don't argue with me!" he yelled as he saw the creature stomp into their vision. Its bloody eyes held a hungry gaze as its mouth foamed with white saliva. Kahet took out one of his knives and aimed it at the animal once Leitjin hopped onto his back. He'd rarely carried his brother but the situation called for desperate measures. He threw the knife as hard as he could and nailed the creature on its chest but it made no difference.

"Run!" Leitjin yelled.

Before they could move, a spear shot out through the foliage behind them and speared the animal through its skull. The creature bellowed and fell onto its side as it twitched in its last moments of life. The two siblings sighed as they looked around to see who'd done it. The leaves moved aside to reveal their mother who carried a scythe-looking sword in her hand while maintaining her homemaker look. She ran over to them and grabbed both boys into a crushing hug while she kissed the top of their heads joyfully. They returned their mother's hug as they purred in relief that someone finally found them. A rustle sounded off to their right as Aru'Kar stomped out of the forest and looked at the dead creature.

"We can take it back and make dinner out of it" he said, smiling at them. "Nice shot."

"Good thing Nak-De let me take it" Iliana sighed as she cuddled her sons. Worriedly, she demanded, "Where have you been?! I was so worried about you! I was scared something awful had happened to you boys!"

"We got lost" Kahet answered as he looked down. "We were coming home and I stopped to study an animal-"

"I made us fall off the path and we kept running from animals and stayed in a cave" Leitjin interfered quickly and took the blame. "Kahet made a fire and he helped us escape before that thing chased us here."

"I just ran by it, good idea" Aru'Kar nodded to Kahet.

"It doesn't matter, I'm just glad you're both safe" she sighed in relief and held them tightly to make sure they wouldn't leave. "Never wander off without supervision! I've told you that many times. It's dangerous out here, your father tells you that all the time!"

"We're sorry, we never meant to" Leitjin said softly and hugged his mother happily. He was so happy he was with her again, despite being in trouble. "But we're okay. Kahet kept me safe the whole time."

"Good, always look out for one another" Iliana smiled and let go of her kids. Giving them a firm glance, she said, "Your father will deal out your punishment but for now, let's go home and wait for him. I'll make you boys dinner, you must be starving. But first, you'll take a warm bath."

"Yes, mother" they said in unison and grabbed each of her hands.

"Aru'Kar, could you take care of this?" she asked, nodding to the dead carcass.

"Sure, I'll have Mother cook it for dinner" he grinned as the two boys looked at it in disgust. "Prey is sometimes food, not just a trophy. I'll clean the skull for you but it won't be pretty since you gave it a headshot."

"I'm not a huntress, I defend my family" Iliana dismissed it and began to walk away. "Have the bones made into knives for Kahet."

"Really?" he asked, feeling calmer about the situation. She nodded. "Great!"

"I can teach you how to skin it?" his uncle enticed making Kahet stop in his tracks. He looked at his mother with the biggest smiled and she sighed.

"Fine, but do NOT wander off!" she ordered and let him go with his uncle. "Be careful, I want you home before nightfall to take your bath."

Kahet nodded and ran over to his uncle who was lifting the carcass over his shoulder. That thing may have looked big to him but his uncle made it look like the small animal he'd seen in the morning with his height. Iliana walked off with Leitjin who waved at them in farewell.

"I'll personally see him home so don't worry!" Aru'Kar called to her as he saw them fade into the brush.

_Leitjin's happy and safe now_, Kahet thought and nodded to himself. _Now I can learn how to skin prey a bit!_

"You father will be proud for the skills you showed today" Aru'Kar complimented his nephew who smiled. "You're still young but in time, you'll make an excellent hunter."

"I hope so" Kahet nodded in pride then sulked, "I couldn't fight that thing though."

"It was an unexpected challenge but you faced it nonetheless" he stated and began to walk in the direction Iliana had gone by. "You were outnumbered and yet you stood your ground. Honorable hunters are defined by it, only cowards run."

"I wanted to run, it seemed better" he sighed and kicked a small rock in his path.

"You're still a child, the fear of the unknown is still inside you" his uncle justified easily and patted his head. "You wanted to get your brother to safety, you were thinking about another, not yourself."

_I hope that fear leaves me or I'll die in my first Chiva_, he thought sullenly. _There is no place for mistake or fear in it._

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End of **Chapter 14**. And we have a change of pace and focus on the bond between the two siblings on their first journey for survival. Only two more chapters till it ends, so thanks for sticking with my little tale. Thanks for reading and for previous reviews as always.


	15. A New Path Begins

CHAPTER 15:

**A New Path Begins  
**

Three years later, Kahet swiped his daggers through the air as he practiced the moves he'd seen hunters perform in the sparring rooms. Sure, he wasn't allowed inside due to his age but it didn't stop him from peeking in unseen as he passed it over the years. He couldn't wait to practice in one of those rooms when he became a tall and powerful hunter like his father. Kahet's body had now reached its adolescent point and he loved the flexibility it brought as he kept growing. Sure, he was still smaller due to his mother's genetics but he didn't let height stop him. In a few days he'd begin classes with his uncle Nak-De, who'd literally toughen him out over the years until he was ready for his Chiva. It had taken a lot of practice to be accepted into his class which demanded the best of the best, with no 'pups who'd go crying to their makers'. His father was proud of him as always while his mother still held her sentimental worry over his well-being.

"Kahet, are you still playing with your daggers?" his mother demanded from his doorway. He turned and crossed his arms in frustration from the surprise. She did the same and in a challenging tone, asked, "Do you remember what I told you?"

"No training before I fix my room, I know!" he complained and set his weapons down on a table. His hands itched for them but knew he had to obey and clean his dumb room. "I hate cleaning!"

_Why do I have to fix my room? I'm not a female or an eta_, he thought.

"One day you'll fix your own quarters down below" she reminded him firmly. He groaned and sat down on his unkempt bed. "I want my son to be tidy, not a slob."

_Please, no lectures!_, he thought in despair.

"Yes, but eta's do most of the cleaning" he pointed out and she glared in return. He knew her stance on that caste and groaned, "Mom, that's how it is! I'm used to it."

"Well, I'm not" she huffed and leaned her back against the doorway's side, preventing it to close. "They're nice people, they just couldn't rise in rank but it's no reason to-"

"I've heard this speech already" he sighed making her stop in mid-sentence. "Don't start a rebellion."

"I'm not starting anything!" she objected and pouted. "I'm just stating an opinion, that's all."

"Mm-hmm" he said flatly and stood to usher her out. "All right, let me do my task or I'm telling father you're rebelling again."

"Kahet!" she exclaimed and smacked his head playfully. "Don't let the excitement get to your head. You're not all powerful yet, you're still growing and learning."

He nodded and his mother exited his room afterwards. Grinning to himself quietly, he stood up to start on his chores. He said he'd do them but the quality of it wouldn't be satisfactory. He threw the heavy pelt on his bed over the unruly blankets beneath and made it look tidy after punching in the lumps and went over to close his half-open drawers of clothes. Kicking anything on the floor underneath his bed, he went back to grab his daggers off his table quickly and began to practice.

Twirling the daggers in his hands, he smiled at remembering the day his father had given them to him. Kantra had gotten them for him at the capital of their homeworld at a trade post before leaving the planet again. He'd been surprised at the gift sitting on his dresser as he looked over the gleaming silver metal and the beautiful hilt decorations, wondering if they had been left there by accident. Now, he rarely let his precious daggers out of his sight.

_And one day, my firstborn son will get them_, he thought proudly. _I wonder how I'll look then. . .Oh well! Time for practice._

"I can still be excited and aim to be the best now" he trilled as he swiped at the air to his left and practiced his kicks.

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"I wish I could start my Chiva training" Aru'Dre sulked as he trained with Kahet in the gardens. The twins sat on the floor reading through information tablets as usual while Bakuub trained by himself. The boys had gathered together to play and train by themselves, assuring their parents they were old enough to go unsupervised. 'We are adolescents after all' Aru'Dre kept bragging to them. Leitjin had stayed home since he rarely trained with them at all, which sometimes worried Kahet since he needed to.

"So, how is he like?" Kahet asked his best friend. With a grin, he joked, "He doesn't beat you to extinction, does he?"

"No, just until you have it right with no broken bones" Bakuub answered as he twirled a dagger and Kahet grimaced, not liking the answer. He'd never had a broken bone and didn't think he was ready for that experience. His friend shrugged and smiled, "By the end of the month, you'll have a sprained muscle at the least."

Bakuub had been accepted into Nak-De's class when he had become fourteen. He was a third year now at 16 and was doing pretty well, do to his tall physique. That and his father made sure he was training well for his classes.

"I guess that's not too bad" Kahet muttered as he swiped at Aru'Dre's legs and knocked him off his feet. The younger male growled and sat up in defeat as he whined in complaint.

"You'll probably go to the infirmary first with uncle in charge" Sri'shan added in as he looked up from his tablet. For the past three years, he had been working on learning as much of his culture as he could. By age 15, he would leave the Ade'k'ra and return to the homeworld to begin study as an assistant lawmaker to aid the High Elders in the city when he entered his adulthood. Most boys at that age were rarely accepted but since his father was an Arbitrator, he'd learned from one of the best and had gotten accepted to begin learning at the apprentice level. Sali'ah hadn't agreed with it and had wanted her son as a pilot but Sau-Trul was proud of his child for his chosen path. He'd miss everyone on board but he wanted to work with the highest of people possible and contribute to their society.

"Good thing I won't have him" Sau'Nak smiled as he saw Aru'Dre try to tackle Kahet but he dodged it easily and he fell on the grass. Aru'Dre spit out grass as he punched the dirt angrily and sat up. "I just have to worry on being able to hunt average prey."

Sau'Nak had decided to travel the same path of his father and would eventually become an Arbitrator in his prime years. For now, he would learn to hunt prey passable for a male his age and would then focus on studying the Hunt itself until he would begin studying the law in his adult years. Aru'Dre teased him about it most of the time by saying he'd be a shriveled prune by the time he reached it while he would be hunting the strongest prey and producing pups to carry his name.

"You'll be weak compared to us hunters" Aru'Dre said smugly and grinned at his elder cousin. Sau'Nak ignored him and kept reading his tablet.

Aru'Dre was still smug as ever and would probably stay that way until he began his classes. Everyone was pretty sure he'd be put in his place by then, either that or irritate the instructor endlessly. Despite being the shortest and youngest in the quartet, he made up for it with his mouth and by honing his skills with the others.

"In the end, they're held as highly as the Elders" Bakuub informed them and sat down to drink some water. Then grinned at Aru'Dre, "Who's to say you'll survive the Chiva at all?"

"I will, I train as hard as you do!" he shouted back indignantly and crossed his arms. "I'll be as strong as my sire!"

"My father's a Leader" Bakuub grinned cheekily making him growl back. Sri'shan snickered while Sau'Nak tried not to laugh himself. They loved to tease the younger male since he tortured them endlessly plus he was prone to anger easily.

"Enough, don't make him mad or he'll prank us" Kahet intervened and patted Aru'Dre's back. Aru'Dre grumbled and sat down to relax as well as his cousin grinned, "I still can't pry off that knife he glued to my wall years ago."

"Just imagine, when we're on our own having our adventures, I can taunt you all" Aru'Dre said, purring in content as he lay on the cool grass. "Forever! Muhahaha!"

"Good thing I won't be there" Sri'shan laughed mockingly at the group. His twin punched his arm and took his tablet. "No! It's mine!"

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"Kahet, your room?" his mother questioned again as he laid on the couch on his stomach lazily. Aloun'Da played with her dolls right next to him on the floor and he tipped them over making her wail in complaint. For a four year old, their father spoiled her unconditionally since she was his only daughter and she clung to him constantly.

"Kahet, don't bother your sister!" Kantra called from the kitchen where he was eating yet another of his mate's delightful fruit salads. "Don't make me come out there!"

"You'd chose the food over coming here, Dad" Kahet laughed but obeyed his father. Aloun'Da stuck out her tongue between her human lips and he tipped another doll quickly before getting off the couch. Stretching, he walked over to Iliana who was fixing him a snack on the table nearby for his day lesson today. He hugged his mother who fondly returned her son's embrace as she finished fixing his meal. She kissed the top of his head, which already reached her nose, and let go of him.

"Remember-" Iliana began and wagged a motherly finger at him. Kahet rolled his emerald eyes and said with her, "Don't let the excitement get to your head."

"Kahet, if it does, you'll get overconfident and mess up" she pointed out to him and then made an unhappy face, "Trust me, it happened to me and I ended up with a broken arm and breaking the weapons rack on the wall in a sparring room."

"That was you? No wonder the body imprint looked familiar!" Kantra said from within the other room. She rolled her eyes and ignored the faraway comment.

"The point is to always listen to your instructor" she finished and hugged her son. Letting him go, she tugged on one of his soft mandibles and said, "Just fix your room and prepare for today."

He nodded reluctantly and headed off to his room to fix it. Iliana stared at her oldest and observed how quickly he was growing up, mentally and physically. By the end of his thirteenth year, he was getting close to surpassing her height and would keep growing until he reached either his father's height or maybe more. Sighing, she hoped he'd still be her baby by that time despite his physical appearance and rebellious mood swings.

_He's growing up, it's what kids do_, she thought somberly. _Eventually, the rebelling and awkwardness will begin and then stop. I wonder if he'll be worse than human teens? I was a bit rebellious and goodness knows how Kantra was at that age. Maybe he won't change much. No matter what, he's still my baby. . .my little Kahet._

"Thinking again?" Kantra asked, walking up to her and caressing her cheek with his hand. She nodded softly and smiled. "He'll be trained well to pass his Chiva so calm yourself."

"And what if Nak-De beats the hell out of him?" she hissed quietly so her other children wouldn't hear. She didn't want her children cursing despite most of the male population did it publicly, especially their uncles. Worriedly, she pointed out, "This society is meant to breed the best hunters of this universe. What if Kahet's not ready?"

"He'll be fine and it'll make him stronger" Kantra responded simply as she gave him a firm protective glare. Like yautja females, Iliana was deadly protective of her children, big or small. He sighed and restated, "If it gets to a serious situation, I'll speak to him. If he doesn't listen, I'll beat the shit out of him in the sparring room."

"Kantra, beating people senseless isn't always the answer!" she said, smiling at his blunt remark.

"Sometimes it is" he retorted and trilled softly with a cocky grin. "I call it brotherly love and he's younger so I get dibs. Besides, what male doesn't fight on this ship?"

"Kantra-" she argued but was interrupted.

"Mother! Aloun'Da wants me to play with her" Leitjin whined from the front of the room as he held a tablet and tried to scoot away from his peppy sister, "I'm not a girl!"

"Daddy, play with me!" Aloun'Da called out to him and raised her doll happily. Kantra grimaced and tried to think of a quick excuse to save his pride.

"Real men play with dolls, only cowards run" Iliana reminded him cheekily and he glared in return. "Call it a peaceful compromise. Besides, Aloun'Da loves her daddy."

_Compromise with female dolls?!_, he thought and hissed to himself. _Somehow I signed up for this automatically when I produced a daughter. Damn chromosomes. Why'd Iliana have to birth such a cute child? I can never say no, it's impossible!_

"Fine but I'll be setting the compromise benefits in our room tonight" he purred into her ear as her spine tingled involuntarily. Biting her ear once, he let go and walked over to his daughter and sat down to play with her. He patted her brunette head as her green eyes looked up and twinkled happily.

"Thank you, Daddy" she purred and gave him two dolls which he held uncomfortably in his large hands. His hands weren't meant to hold tiny toys, they were meant to show off his strength! If at all, he should be breaking them! Looking over at his mate, his face plainly read 'You owe me so much for this'.

"Fathers aren't used to playing dolls, Lounda, but I'll play with you until Kahet comes out" he told his daughter in a calm voice and she nodded happily anyway. "We'll be leaving then."

"But I thought the class began-" Leitjin began but his father cut him off swiftly.

"We're getting there early to. .um. .so I can talk to your uncle!" Kantra lied and patted his daughter's head. Feeling guilty afterwards, he sighed and said, "You can come with us and I'll take you to the pools to swim afterwards."

"Thanks, Daddy!" she purred happily and hugged him around the neck. He purred in return and let her go so he could make one of the dolls walk around.

_Iliana had to teach her to call me 'Daddy' instead of 'Father' or the ooman term 'Dad' like the boys_, he sighed mentally. _Maybe she'll grow out of it. How long can the nickname last?_

"In four years, you'll begin your training as well" Kantra told Leitjin who looked down and shyly shook his head from his spot on the couch. Raising a brow, he asked, "What's wrong?"

_I have to tell him_, Leitjin thought worriedly. _Otherwise, he'll keep telling me. I can't keep doing something I don't like._

"I. . .I don't like hunting" he admitted, nervously. Kantra raised a brow in surprise as he continued in hesitation, "It doesn't. . .appeal to me. I don't want to go on hunts. I've tried to like it for years but I can't. I'd rather. .I want to be a medic!"

_Oh, he's going to yell_, Leitjin thought and closed his eyes in wait. _I'll probably get extra training time!_

"That's wonderful!" Iliana responded in an approving tone. Leitjin stared at her in surprise and smiled weakly. She actually approved of it? Maybe his father could too. "His instructor says he's the best in his class and he's always studying, Kantra. He'd make a good medic onboard one day."

_I can imagine it_, she thought proudly as she looked at her youngest son. _Dr. Leitjin! No, Medic Leitjin! My son, the doctor!_

"Yes but. .I thought all of my boys would be hunters" Kantra mumbled, still surprised by his son's confession. Leitjin's shoulders slumped instantly, feeling he'd disappointed his father.

"They can choose their own path" Iliana said gently as she walked over to them. Stroking her son's cheek, she smiled at Kantra, "Kahet likes hunting but Leitjin doesn't, they can't love everything you do. Each of our children will be different, they can't be uniformly. I was a healer for animals on my world, your mother was also a healer, and Ani-De's a medic here so he'll fit right in."

"I like medicine, I can fix people" Leitjin told his father and hoped he'd approve. "If Kahet gets hurt, I can heal him just like he protects me. Medics help out all the time here on the Ade'k'ra."

_So my little one wants to help his society?_, his father thought. _Well, I suppose one of ours was bound to be like Iliana._

"All right, if that's what you want" Kantra agreed and nodded to his smiling son. In a fatherly tone, he reminded, "But medics must be strong too, Leitjin. Sometimes hunters can be aggressive during treatments and try to cause harm."

"No problem, I'll tell uncle Ani-De to teach me how to knock out unruly patients" Leitjin laughed and his father joined in as well.

_He may not like the Hunt, but he'll be a good medic_, Kantra thought and ruffled his son's hair. Leitjin purred and hugged his father happily, overjoyed that he had agreed. _I want the best for my boys._

"What's so funny?" Kahet asked, practically skipping into the room with joy. "It's not about me, is it?"

"No, it's your crazy uncles" Iliana chuckled and smoothed his unkempt hair with her hand. "I fixed you a snack so get ready so your father can take you."

"I'll be done in a minute!" he said excitedly and ran out of the room once more.

"He's just like me when I was that age" Kantra said in remembrance. He grinned afterwards and added to his mate, "I couldn't move an inch the next day from soreness."

"The splendor of hunting" Iliana said dryly and her mate hissed.

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"The class is a bit smaller than the ones I've been in" Kahet said, looking over his new classmates who would be there for six years with him. "Do you think they're stronger than me?"

"If so, train even harder" his father advised and patted his shoulder in comfort. "You'll be fine, it's your first day. Over the weeks, you'll adjust and find your place."

The students, no more than fifteen per class, were gathered inside the sparring hall within one of the smaller divided rooms for private training. Classes were held there in the morning or late hour cycles by different instructors. Kahet had luckily gotten his day spot in the class and the room was decorated with worn claw marks in the walls along with a weapons rack. The floor was padded in black so the students wouldn't be injured too heavily and gave them room to perform individual exercises. Students were coming in and out as they performed some warm-up exercises before Nak-De's arrival.

"What if they mock me for being. .you know?" Kahet whispered, looking at his father for reassurance.

"Then you defeat them in sparring and teach them how a hybrid can kick the butts of any full breeds that come near" Kantra stated and gave him a comforting smile, "This class is about _you_, what you seek to accomplish, not them. Who cares what they think? You have a family and friends supporting you already."

"Thanks, I hope uncle's 'support' isn't throwing me through a table today" Kahet said, making a face. "Father, how was your first day like?"

"Well. . ." Kantra said, trying to form his thoughts.

_(Flashback)_

_Eighty four years ago. . ._

_A fourteen-year old Kantra stepped into his classroom for his Chiva training. He was excited and couldn't wait to begin the techniques warriors used to hunt the Kainde Amedha. He remembered the stories his father told him since childhood whenever he had asked and couldn't wait to experience one himself so he could retell it to future generations. He'd be the best warrior he could be and sire as many sucklings as he could once he reached his prime._

"_You'll be all right, son?" Bai'Kar asked him as she held the hands of both of her four-year old twins. Kantra nodded enthusiastically and saw one of his best friends, Malkor, beckon him with his hand. He would've rather had Kahet in the class but since he was younger, he couldn't._

"_Sure, Malkor's with me" he said and looked at her. In a professional mature tone, he said, "Thank you, Mother. I will see you at home."_

"_Just because you're starting here, it doesn't mean you're not my little Kantra" she purred and stroked his cheek with her hand. Nak-De began to scamper off towards the class but she grabbed him quickly. Chuckling, she said, "I'll leave you before Nak-De does something outrageous."_

"_I will not, I'm a warrior!" he pouted and thumped his small green chest proudly. "Just like father!"_

"_You're slime" Ani-De giggled causing his twin to growl and try to punch him. He grabbed his mother's skirt quickly and whined, "Mother!"_

"_You're a slug!" Nak-De insulted as his mother pried both of her twins apart._

"_Take care, son" Bai'Kar nodded and exited the room with his rambunctious siblings. Kantra sighed and stretched his arms._

_I can do this, how bad can it be?, he thought as he jogged over to Malkor._

"_Is he here yet?" Kantra asked, looking around._

"_Yes, but he stepped out for a minute" Malkor responded in a whisper. "Scary looking too."_

_Minutes passed and his instructor entered causing Kantra to sweat. He was the biggest warrior he'd seen on board and he bore scars over his body like prized decorations. He stared in awe and a little nervousness as the large male entered the front of the room. The students bowed in respect and stood at attention immediately._

"_A Kainde Amedha jumps at you, what is your reaction?" the instructor demanded instantly._

"_Tackle it?" one of the students answered uncertainly._

"_No, you dodge before your brain gets splattered over the wall by its tongue" he answered and looked over the room with a stern glance. "In my class, you will have two choices: you will either learn to tolerate the pain I bring to prepare you to complete your Chiva or go join the etas."_

"_What about another instructor?" an arrogant voice mocked from the side._

"_You'll be my first victim in my first display to fight off a hard meat" the instructor hissed and looked at the class. "Understood?"_

"_Yes, sir!" they responded._

"_What a prune" Malkor whispered to Kantra without moving. Kantra gulped and stared as the instructor grabbed the unruly student and brought him to the front of the class._

"_I hope I don't get put up there" Kantra whispered in return._

"_Did you say something?!" the instructor grilled Kantra. Kantra shook his head instantly and met the instructor's glare._

"_Is the example a defensive or offensive attack?" Kantra blurted without thinking straight. He did not want to get on that man's bad side!_

"_Good question. . .?" the instructor asked, motioning with his hand for a name._

"_Kantra" he replied as he struggled to talk without seeming nervous._

"_Pay attention and you'll get all of your answers, Kantra" the older male stated with a nod and returned to his lecture._

"_Good save" Malkor whispered afterwards._

"_You, you're next!" the instructor said, pointing to him. Malkor opened his mouth in shock but nodded reluctantly._

"It was an interesting day" Kantra finished but felt ill to his stomach at speaking about Malkor at all after what he did to him. But, that was in the past now and he had a son who now sought his advice. "You'll be fine, son."

_If that bastard had succeeded, I wouldn't have Kahet or any of my children now_, he thought to himself. _I'll make sure nothing similar ever happens to him._

"Is the scary man still here?" Aloun'Da asked curiously from behind as she hitched a piggyback ride on her father's back.

"No, he died taking down a Kainde Amedha Queen by himself and killed it" Kantra said in pride. "That is what the Hunt is all about. I was proud to be trained by one of the best and Nak-De will do the same with you."

"Great" Kahet mumbled, feeling the same as before about the situation. Spotting a tall shadow headed their way, he sighed, "Here he comes."

Nak-De entered the classroom with a fierce look that literally scared off the students near him as he pointed to the front of the room to them. He wore the simple ensemble of most males onboard but held some his weapons on his belt. Kantra nodded to him as Aloun'Da waved in greeting, not caring how grumpy her uncle looked.

"Front of the room, Kahet" his uncle ordered him and he nodded quickly.

_He doesn't look like my usual grouchy uncle anymore_, Kahet thought. _Now, he's my grouchy __teacher__._

"Uncle looks scary" Aloun'Da giggled to her father who smiled. She smiled at Kahet, "Good luck."

"Goodbye, Father" Kahet said in farewell with a bow, which surprised Kantra. Now, he felt as odd and proud as his mother did those many years ago. He pinched his sister's cheek afterwards, "Bye, Lounda."

He ran to the front of the room and looked for an empty spot within the lines. Kantra watched his son leave and couldn't help but see a part of himself in him. Now his son was living the same events he'd done decades ago and felt proud of his and his son's accomplishments. Heading towards the exit, he stopped near his brother.

"Make sure they treat him equally" he said firmly and Nak-De nodded. He left without waiting for a response with his daughter gripping his shoulder happily.

"Will Kahet be okay, Daddy?" she asked, looking at him curiously.

"Time will tell" her father responded simply.

Within the classroom, Nak-De glared at the students to see their reaction. As usual, he got some arrogant, fearful, and nervous responses.

"All right, I just finished bringing back a class of my latest Chiva graduates and most of them survived and are now Young Bloods" Nak-De began and paced in front of the students with a firm pose. "I expect the same from you when you reach your own. If you act a fool here, you will either die in your Chiva or I will beat sense into you."

"As my first year class, I understand your excitement but arrogance has no place here" Nak-De stated sternly as he looked at each of them eye-to-eye. "Just because you've entered the ranks that will lead you to a Young Blood rank, it does not mean you can mock others or pick fights with any older students to show off. If so, I'm pretty sure my older students will beat you in one minute flat."

"What if we turn out better?" a voice questioned.

"Every class has an arrogant pup" Nak-De grinned deviously at the student who spoke. "You will be the targeted prey today in the exercise. Maybe it'll teach you a lesson in humility."

Nak-De pointed to the weapons wall nearby towards the plasma caster section and the students smiled in excitement. Kahet saw the weapon that most warriors used to easily target and destroy prey upon contact.

_Surely we won't use them today!_, Kahet thought instantly.

"Do you see those?" he asked them and they nodded eagerly in suspense. With an evil smirk, he answered, "Well, we won't be using them until your last year."

The disappointed groan was pleasure to Nak-De's ears as he said, "An idiot student of another instructor accidentally shot a hole into another level here two years ago so it's been banned until then. If it would've been one of my students, I would've shot at him with the caster itself after first throwing him through the hole."

Hearing another collective groan, he grinned, "Get used to it. My lectures and exercises will be spontaneous because that's what the Hunt is about. Yes, you can prepare strategies and study prey but you need quick decisions when you're out there in the open. A Kainde Amedha will not wait while you go over what weapon you should use in what way. By then, you'll be dead with a hole in your head."

_Great_, Kahet thought sullenly. _I have to stay at the top no matter what._

"Every student here has potential so I will not let it go to waste" Nak-De said as Kahet listened to every word. "If you do, you can leave and go cry to your maker. You were put into my class because you wanted the best so you're getting it. By the end of this week, I expect you to know the rules of the Hunt with Kainde Amedha. I also want you to have a handle on all of the basic defense attacks."

The class slumped their shoulders and got ready for their first week. Nak-De chuckled to himself from the idea of the imposing figure he'd made himself to be for them as he smirked, "And welcome to my class, once again."

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"I can't move" Kahet groaned a week later as Aru'Dre poked his side. "Stop that!"

All of the boys had gathered in Kahet's room as his body stayed limp on the floor. The week had been filled with exercise and rarely any lectures. During the middle of a lecture, Nak-De would pop out with a test on a random exercise and they were expected to know it as he watched each of them perform it. Kahet had to practice in and outside the classroom to understand everything and had to ask his father about certain techniques sometimes. He wondered if he'd chosen the right class, especially when his muscles ached with every little movement made.

"That's the first week all right" Bakuub said and helped Kahet stand. The younger boy groaned as his muscles throbbed and he stood to quickly sit on his bed. "You'll be fine. He has his tough weeks and easier ones. I like his classes though."

"You're a third year, you've been through my pain" Kahet grumbled and shook his head. "I'll learn to handle it."

"I feel sorry for you" Sau'Nak said, where he laid in Kahet's hammock. "Good thing I get anyone but uncle."

"Lucky you" Kahet said sarcastically and yawned. "So what're you all doing today?"

"Practice at the gardens" Bakuub and Aru'Dre said in unison. Kahet groaned and collapsed on the bed again.

"I don't think I can even run" he complained and wiped his eyes. "I just want to stay in bed on my days off."

_I want to sleep nonstop for a week_, Kahet thought longingly.

"You're a suckling" Aru'Dre laughed and had a pillow hit his face on the floor. He threw it back at him and said, "You can't stay here the whole day! Aunt Iliana will bring you out sometime."

"Not if her 'little Kahet's' tired" he grinned smugly and Aru'Dre hit the floor with his fist.

"The sooner you stretch those muscles, the better!" Bakuub said and yanked him back up again. Kahet grumbled as his muscles stung with every move as he went outside his room and into the hall. "See?"

"I hate you" he growled at him as he pushed him. "Who made you boss?"

"I did, since I'm older" Bakuub said easily as Aru'Dre objected from behind. Sau'Nak simply followed the trio from behind quietly. "Then it's you, the twins, and Aru'Dre."

"Why am I last? I'm way better than the twins!" he yelled and crossed his arms in a huff. "They can't even fight."

"I can beat you, but I would rather use my energy on something else" Sau'Nak said simply and ignored him. His cousin easily got irritated by being ignored. It was a big no in Aru'Dre's personality.

"Stop being quiet!" he shot back and faced the others again. He waved his hands for attention, "Listen to me! I should at least be at Kahet's level!"

"Shut up, Aru!" Kahet snapped as they entered the main room. Iliana played with Aloun'Da while Sri'shan and Leitjin read tablets together. "Mother, I'm sore!"

"Did you put on the medicine that Uncle Ani-De gave you?" she asked, standing up while Aloun'Da whined for her to come back. Leitjin laughed at her causing her to throw a doll at his head. Iliana turned around and firmly ordered, "No fighting, you two!"

The two siblings quieted as she walked over to Kahet who had hunched over the couch in a slump. She stroked his head and hoped the pain would leave him as he adjusted to training. As a mother, she wanted her child to be happy but she knew this would aid him in the long run. She embraced her grumbling son and stroked his back as Kahet simply loved the coddling.

"You'll get used to it over time" she soothed and looked at the other three teens. "There's some food on the table if you want to snack on something."

"Please, let's eat, no more training" Kahet told them instantly and they groaned together.

"Fine, but only because I like food!" Aru'Dre said, raising his chin defiantly. Iliana chuckled and ruffled his loose hair. "Aunt Iliana, no!"

"He'll probably eat all of the good food while we're not looking" Sau'Nak said to the other boys who nodded in agreement. His cousin hit his arm, not liking the joke. Sau'Nak hit him back and hissed, "It's true!"

"No fighting or I'm telling your mothers" Iliana warned and they stopped. She led them into the kitchen to fix their food while Aloun'Da, Sri'shan, and Leitjin stared from behind.

"Good thing we never fight like that" Sri'shan said as he lay down on his stomach to poke at his slate.

"Boys suck" Aloun'Da sniffed in disdain and kept playing in her little corner. "I want a sister."

"I'm hungry, why do they get food?" Leitjin mumbled as he put his materials down and stood up quickly. "We behave all the time!"

"Hunters get everything" Sri'shan grumbled and sprawled his whole body over the floor. "No fair."

"Mother, I'm hungry!" Leitjin yelled out. "Don't we get food? We're the good ones!"

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Months later, Kantra stood with his son in one of the public floors of the sparring arena. Kahet looked at all of the warriors either training or sparring in awe at the fast moves they performed and the use of their weapons. He followed his father over to their destination but didn't stop looking over the place. Most young pups couldn't be here until they were at least Young Bloods. Most classes trained in the classroom privately or at home but his father had gotten access to the place.

"This place is huge" Kahet told his father as he saw a warrior get tackled by another. "I can't wait to train here one day."

"This is just one of the floors, there's more" Kantra informed as he stretched his muscles. "Over time, you'll learn the schematics of this place."

"Do you think I'm doing all right?" his son asked, bandaging his hands before beginning his training session. "Am I as strong as you were at my age?"

_Every time I think I have something right, I mess it up_, he thought glumly.

"You're smaller than I was but it can work to your advantage in agility" Kantra said in assurance. His son always questioned himself about his skills as he grew so Kantra would encourage him as best as he could. "Everyone's different so don't doubt yourself."

"I want to survive my Chiva and be a good Hunter" Kahet said in determination as he curled his hands to test their strength. They looked so small compared to his father's and hoped one day he'd match his father's strength. "I don't want to fail."

_I can't fail, I'll be without honor and dead_, he thought.

"You won't" Kantra said and walked over to his son. Gripping his shoulders underneath his hands, he advised, "As long as you discipline yourself and listen to everything your uncle says, you will pass. You have to let go of all those negative thoughts and focus on the positive aspects from this."

"I hope so" he sighed and nodded to his father with a crooked smile, "Are you proud of me?"

"Of course I am, you're my oldest and you never give up on anything" his father said with a smile and ruffled his hair. "There's never a day I'm not proud of you."

"Thanks. . .let's start training!" Kahet said excitedly and took his place on the floor. He jogged in place for a minute before taking a defensive stance.

"All right then, don't cry to your mother when I beat you" Kantra joked and circled around his son.

"You're huge, there's no way I can take you down!" Kahet objected quickly. "I don't even reach your chest!"

"You'll reach my height in no time, son" his father laughed and trilled from amusement. "Don't worry."

_He'll be just fine, I know it_, Kantra thought as he watched his son try to form an attack strategy.

"Fine, I'll take you on!" Kahet grinned and charged at his father.

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End of **Chapter 15**. And Kahet's Chiva training begins for a long time as the story comes to a finish next in the epilogue. I've added some new sketches for my stories so check them out if you want. Thanks to my last reviewers as always, I enjoy reading your comments. I'll see which story I should continue after this one.


	16. Epilogue

CHAPTER 16:

**Epilogue**

"Damn it, I can't find my belt!" Kahet cursed as he turned over the contents that spilled over his bed in a frenzy. "I'm such a klutz sometimes."

Kahet's Chiva was now approaching and the ship that took the students over to the trial planet would be leaving by the end of the day. He was excited about it but his nerves took hold when he was preparing his things and realized his moment had finally come. The moment he'd been waiting for as long as he could remember! The moment every male seeking Hunter status yearned for with anticipation to prove their worth to the clan! Kahet now reached a height of 6'5 at age twenty, his brown hair had been dreadlocked in the painful procedure every Unblooded went through and it now reached past his shoulders, his skin tone had gotten lighter while his stripes deepened in color, and had gained the confidence needed to succeed over the years. His parents were proud of his training outcome despite Iliana hated that she couldn't kiss her son on the forehead anymore and he had to lean down to get a hug.

"No you're not, that's Aru'Dre" Sau'Nak stated as he kneeled down to look underneath his cousin's bed. "There's nothing here."

Sau'Nak would complete a much easier trial next year since his path would not lead for a Hunter status, but rather an Arbitrary status. He'd toned his body to take down prey nonetheless, specializing in good camouflage tactics that would one day help him take down Bad Bloods. Despite being younger, his height surpassed everyone's by being 6'8 since his father was taller than most in Kahet's family. His blue skin held a deep sapphire toning while his chest melted into a creamy white and his hair was held in a tight ponytail high on his head. His twin had left for the homeworld years ago and despite he spoke to him weekly, he'd made a tighter bond with his cousins who'd all been inseparable through the years.

"I'm not doing nothing" Aru'Dre scoffed as he lay in Kahet's hammock and ate a plate of fatty looking food. Since he trained nonstop now, he didn't gain a pound and wasted all of the energy there.

Aru'Dre was. . .still Aru'Dre. He would complete his Chiva in two years and had gotten Nak-De as an instructor as well. Despite Kahet who was intent on succeeding, Aru'Dre was a showoff who tried to improvise in the class. Usually, the class ended with him on the floor after a beating from his uncle. Nonetheless, he was a hit with the young females with his witty humor and surprisingly good looks. His sepia toning was still developing while his dreadlocked black hair lay loose over his shoulders as his body took a 6'0 height. Like Kahet, Aru'Dre had been picked on over the years for his genetics and beat up people for it while using humor as a defense mechanism. Kahet, however, rather just beat them and took it out in the sparring rooms.

"You never do anything" Bakuub snorted and found the desired item near the window. Picking it up, he threw it onto Kahet's bed. "Do you throw your things everywhere? I hope there's no dirty loincloths lying around."

"Shut up!" Kahet growled, punching his friend's arm in return. He packed the next item into his bag and sat down on the bed. "I'll probably forget something once I'm onboard."

"As long as it's not your weapon" he stated and went to sit by the window. "That would be a fatal travesty. Make a checklist before you go."

Bakuub was now a Young Blood at 22 and was living in the Hunter's level below in his own private quarter. The two had become best friends over the years and always traded advice. Since Kahet would be doing his Chiva, Bakuub gave him tips to assure his safety over the months. As a newcomer into the ranks, he was expected to aspire to great ranks due to his lineage. Oddly enough, he hated the attention and would rather be with Kahet's group who rarely got any. The male reached a height of 6'7 with a mahogany coating that contained brown mottles here and there over his body while his short dreads trailed over his shoulders. He participated in a small hunting group but would eventually buy his own ship to take his own group one day. In two years, his father would leave to become Elder of a new clan ship but Bakuub and his older sister, Eshin'Ga, decided to stay onboard the Ade'k'ra. His older brother, Su'Resh, had disapproved of his choice because he'd make a faster rank on the new ship but Bakuub was adamant on his choice.

"I don't have time for that, I leave in a few hours!" Kahet shot back and stuffed whatever he could find into his bag without looking. "All I need is my armor, weapons, medicine, and. . ."

"Remember to capture footage for us in your mask" Aru'Dre reminded him as he talked with an open full mouth. The other males grimaced and gagged from the sight making him roll his eyes. "You're a bunch of _Lou-dte Kalei_! Anyway, we want to share in your splendor and laugh at your mistakes."

"And females like him why?" Bakuub questioned, more to himself. "If at all, they should run in the opposite direction!"

"You're jealous because none fancy you" Aru'Dre snickered in a taunt. He loved to irritate his friends every single day, it was his goal.

"I've mated much more than you have!" he shot back as Sau'Nak intervened as the peacemaker of the group. As much as his cousin annoyed, he kept the peace before everyone throttled him.

"This isn't helping Kahet, we're here to give him a proper sendoff" he reminded all of them while Kahet packed a few more belongings he found in his drawers, not giving them attention at all.

"You're right!" Aru'Dre declared and got up from the hammock. Giving Bakuub his plate, who looked at him with a glare in return, he said, "I'll find a bunch of females and we'll have some fun in Bakuub's quarters!"

"No!" Kahet objected instantly. "I'm not that kind of male, that's you! Besides, I want to spend time with my family and go to a meeting with my father. I want to relax before I go on that two week long trip."

_I'm sure they're worried non-stop already_, he thought warmly.

"You're lame" his cousin sighed and went back to his hammock. Kahet rolled his eyes as he asked, "So Bakuub, enlighten us with a tidbit from your Chiva."

"Watch out for the prey's spit, it's slippery and can be corrosive as well" he informed the younger males and hit Aru'Dre over the head with his plate. "So don't slip on it. And make sure no arrogant males steal your kill from you."

"They'll leave me alone as usual so that'll be no problem" Kahet said, shrugging his shoulders. Finding a holocube containing a picture of his family, he packed it into his pack to keep with him on the ship. Looking up, he smiled, "Who wants to go to the mess hall and order that favorite meal of ours since childhood?"

"I still would've gone with the females but I suppose" Aru'Dre sighed dramatically with fake disappointment as he got up and headed to the door. "Let's go, you slowpokes!"

"I'm still packing so you're waiting!" Kahet growled and pointed to the floor. Aru'Dre snorted and leaned against the wall instead.

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On the docking bay level, Kahet tapped his left foot in excitement as he held his pack over his shoulder. His ship wasn't far and the students were filing in to find a room to sleep in while the ship journeyed towards the planet. Nak-De was overseeing the plan schedule and checking the armor and weapons stock in case of any emergencies. Since Kahet would be on the ship for a bit, he wore casual clothes before he'd use his armor in his final test. Iliana looked at her son in worry but felt proud of his chance nonetheless as she tried not to cry.

_How can I not? My baby's leaving for dangerous territories_, she thought. _Human mothers would be locking their son's in a room for this but not here. If at all, we make sure they're kicked in that direction._

Despite the passing years, Iliana's physical longevity stayed the same and she hadn't aged much or gained any wrinkles for the past twenty years. She still held the same stubborn, spit-fire personality but had learned to mature her way into picking her battles. . .after a few hundred nags from Kantra, that is. She was now able to take down males that were Kahet's stature and would try to tone it up year by year. Nak-De wasn't making it easier so she'd take it slower, especially since she had children to look after. That and Kantra didn't want her injured if she ever got pregnant again.

"Take care of yourself out there, okay?" she said as she cupped his face between her hands. Kissing his forehead, she whispered, "Don't let anyone get in your way. Do what you have to and return home with your uncle. Be careful because all of us expect you back alive."

"I can't guarantee that, mother" Kahet said regretfully and tried not to scare her. Her lips thinned as she nodded tensely at his response. He grabbed his mother's small form into his arms and said, "I'll do the best I can. Everyone's trained me as best they could and it's up to me now. I have to do this to prove myself in this world just like you've beat some heads along the way."

"I didn't do a Chiva, I just trained and beat up jerks!" she objected at the simple comparison. Furrowing her brows to block any upcoming tears, she asked, "Did you speak to your father already?"

"Yes, he gave me a father-son conversation" he nodded with a smile as she wringed her dress in her hands to stop them from trembling. "Mother, you're worrying more than me and I'm the one leaving!"

"You're my first baby, I never thought this day would come so soon" she said softly as she squeezed his firm cheek affectionately. "I still remember holding you as a suckling and as a pup running around with your toys and now. . .well, you're about to be a man. You've grown up so fast and I'm so proud of you. You've accomplished many things in your lifetime already and you still have much to do."

"Mother-" he intervened before becoming embarrassed.

_She always does this_, he thought. _It must be an ooman thing._

"No, you listen" she said in a firmer tone and pointed at him with a shaky finger but kept a small smile on her face. Grabbing his hand into both of hers, she continued, "I know it's been hard for you here because of my background and I'll always be sorry for that. Sometimes people can be ignorant of the unknown and ostracize it entirely. Your father and I tried to protect you from them to make sure you grew up safely but they still managed to hurt your mentality, my little one. Yet, you're a strong person now and I know you can fend for yourself against them. You've proven you're better than they and will continue to be as you grow wiser. I'll always worry over you though, you're my son and it won't stop no matter how old you are. You've always been independent, trying to do things for yourself without any help. I still remember when you took your first walk, you didn't want anyone touching you until you did it."

"No, not memory lane" he groaned and pulled at his brown locks for emphasis. His mother laughed and slapped his arm softly. Chuckling, he said, "I've tried to be as best as a child could be, mother. Be proud that you and father did a thorough job, despite I hated it entirely at times, and believe I'll return."

"I'll always believe in you" she said and hugged him one last time as tightly as she could. Kahet was surprised at her strength and tried to keep his lungs filled with air as his face scrunched up slightly. Sniffling, she repeated, "Ill always believe in you, even if no one does, I'll always be here for you. I gave you life and you better come back here to die of old age centuries from now."

"I'll try to keep that promise" he chuckled and let her go. Sighing, he looked back at the ship in anticipation to say, "I have to go so I can get a good bed onboard. So. . ."

"Go and give them hell" she smiled and patted his cheek fondly one last time. "Your siblings are rooting for you. They wanted to come but they need to go to sleep no matter how old they are. Did you get the meals your Grandmother and I fixed for you?"

"Yes, so did uncle Nak-De" Kahet assured and laughed loudly. "I think his package is as big as him."

Iliana joined him and squeezed his hand in a last gesture. "Go before I start bawling my eyes and make people stare, I think they're creeped out by human tears." Kahet laughed at the joke as she kissed his cheek in farewell, "No matter how big you get, you'll always be my baby. But you're like your father and he doesn't let anything stop him so I expect the same. I love you, sweetie, so stay safe out there."

"I love you too, mother" he said in soft purr and let go of her hand. "I'll be back before you know it."

She nodded in return as he walked off to his ship eagerly to start the journey to his Chiva. Iliana watched him go into the medium-sized ship, no bigger than for thirty inhabitants, as it packed up and proceeded to make the last test checks before leaving in less than an hour. She wanted her son to revert to his child stage so badly so he didn't have to leave to face unknown danger and she could protect him in her arms but that would be an illusion. The hard truth was that she didn't know if he was coming back and if that would be her last conversation with her son. Leaving the docks quickly, she ran towards the lifts before she broke down emotionally in public.

_He'll be fine_, she assured herself. _I must believe he'll return proudly with his first trophy. I have to._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"When Kahet comes back, I'm giving him a bouquet of these pretty flowers" Aloun'Da told Leitjin as they sat together in the gardens.

Iliana had taken them the next day to play so her home wouldn't feel empty without Kahet's presence. She was used to hearing him bumble around in the early morning as they all awoke to eat. Now, she just had her two little ones who would rarely ever leave the Ade'k'ra in their lives. Her mind stayed on her son constantly despite Kantra's assurance that he'd be all right. After feeling the empty house without seeing her tall son picking at his siblings or joking with her, she'd taken the two children to entertain themselves so they could at least feel at peace for a while. The quietness had picked relentlessly at her mind towards her child and she needed to escape it before it made her depressed.

"It's forbidden to take them from the garden" Leitjin stated firmly and she stuck her tongue out in return. He flared his mandibles at her playfully and said, "I bet he'll take out the meanest prey there! He's taken on older students and has beaten them."

Leitjin was now sixteen and had begun his work in the medicinal field at the age of 12. Unlike members of their society who would train to be Hunters, healers did not need rigorous physical training and could start at a much younger age. After all, the younger the mind was, the more information one could absorb and Leitjin was more than happy to. First, he would work with the healers for basic and intermediate training for ten years or so. He had to learn everything first before ever handling anything medics or healers used. Eventually, he would begin working underneath a medic's supervision and reach their level much later in adulthood. Now at age sixteen, Bai'Kar aided him in the healer section and he was perfect as well as happy in the path he'd chosen. He'd never liked the hunt as a child and now he could help people all over the ship and incoming vessels as well.

"Whatever your brother brings, we'll be proud" their mother said pointedly and they nodded. Stroking the cool grass under her warm fingertips, she sighed, "He loves coming here, ever since Sali'ah brought him here the first time."

"You promised not to get sad" a firm voice said from behind as Kantra's body cast a shadow over hers on the grass. The children greeted him happily and he nodded to them in return. Sitting down at his mate's side, he wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, "He'll be fine. Stop worrying."

Kantra had finally reached an Arbitrator status and worked in a separate larger office on the Arbitrator level, across from Sau-Trul's office. The years hadn't seemed long to him, unlike Iliana, but he was happy they were over and he wouldn't have to leave as much. Sau-Trul was still the head Arbitrator but since many workers were more of assistant status on their level, Kantra would be second as soon as he gained more experience. He still remembered when he brought his teenage son into his office so he could see how their arbitrary system worked. Sure, Kahet had gotten bored within a minute but it brought them closer. Now, he was about to be the newest Young Blood in the entire family since Badru if he passed.

"I'm a mother, it's what we do" she said meekly and wrapped her arms around his waist to press her cheek against his chest. Holding him instantly calmed her nerves so she made sure to keep a firm grip on her mate. "You better not be leaving on a mission either, Kantra. It was hard enough to see Kahet go today."

"No, not until later in the year" Kantra said, shrugging as he stroked her hair. In a brighter tone, he informed, "Sali'ah invited us for a meal later if you're up to it?"

"She's trying to make me feel better" Iliana chuckled with a light smile as she tucked strands of loose hair behind her ears. "She's gotten tuned into my odd human emotions after all the years. I'll be happy to go. Besides, she knows how I feel."

"Sri'shan went to live on the homeworld, there's no danger there" Kantra said, blowing up his mate's happy mind bubble. She gave him a glare and he quickly thought of something. "Of course she does! Both children are off in different worlds without their mothers."

"Thanks for trying" she smiled and stroked his thigh gently. "The years go by fast, whether you admit it or not. Twenty years ago, I would've thought I'd only have Kahet and possibly piss off your entire clan. I accomplished the latter of the two and here we are in a beautiful garden with two of our three children years later."

"It's not bad if I say so myself" Kantra said, as he lay down to place his head on his mate's lap and used his navy Arbitrator cape as a blanket underneath to relax. She smiled and stroked his forehead in a soft circle motion. "I'd have imagined more pups running around but this works."

_Still with the same idea_, she chuckled mentally.

"I'm not having more. . .for now" she objected and pulled one of his dreads. "I like spending time with each of my children individually."

"Oh!" he groaned in playful frustration. "Most females here would be pregnant at least every two years. One day I'll give you twins and then I'll be the one laughing."

"And I'll deny you any chance of mating me for two years then" she chuckled and smiled as his mandibles curled in sourly.

"No! I'm supposed to win this argument" he groaned and turned his head to sulk into her clothed abdomen.

"My whiny Arbitrator" she laughed and leaned down to kiss his temple gently. "How I love you."

"So do I" he purred and looked up slyly, "Can I get a suckling now?"

She kissed his chin as he smiled but said, "Not a chance, my love."

He sighed loudly and shrugged, "Can't blame a male for trying."

"Daddy, I finished weaving a shirt for you" Aloun'Da said brightly as she went to sit by him. She gave her father a quick hug and grinned, "I completed it today and you can wear it to the Arbitrator level tomorrow!"

Now ten, Aloun'Da still stuck to her father and being the only daughter, Kantra forbid nothing to her. Especially the nickname for him that Kantra didn't like much but tolerated it for her, she was still the baby after all. She was energetic and happy to create all sorts of things for people. Sometimes he thought she resembled none of her parents stubborn traits and would probably be like her graceful grandmother. As many things as she'd created for people, she gave most of them to her beloved father. She'd begun experimenting with clothes making a while ago and showed promise for female clothing. For males, however, she needed help.

_Please don't let it be a shirt with fluttery sleeves and ruffled ends_, he thought in refuge.

"Thank you, Aloun'Da" he said, not wanting to upset her. She looked so much like her mother as she grew up so it'd be harder to refuse her things or ideas. "You have great skills in all this creativity."

She smiled wider and purred in content as she went back to working on her knickknacks on the grass. Kantra sighed and rumbled his chest as he relaxed with his family on the grass. Yet, while watching his two children talk, he couldn't help but wonder what his oldest son was doing at this minute. Was he getting some last minute training, was he sleeping, was he nervous, or was he scared?

_Let the Gods watch over my son and protect him_, he thought in a prayer. _My son is strong and he's battled many fights over time. I don't want to lose him when he has much potential._

_(Flashback)_

"_What is all this?" Kantra asked, picking up a bag with clothing inside. While on their visit to Earth, Iliana had decided to shop with all of her money, after quickly withdrawing it all, and spend it on stuff for her new family. She was never going to see the planet again so she was going to go crazy with her spending._

"_The clothes I bought for the baby" Iliana smiled instantly as she opened one and showed him a white sleeper. She held it against her chest and giggled, "It'll look cute on them once it's here. Wait till you see the little outfits! Our baby will be so adorable!"_

"_What about the clothes I ordered for it?" he asked, feeling left out from the planning. Would his child even fit in them? It wouldn't be human sized. "It won't be ooman, Ana."_

"_I know, I want our baby to have human things too" she said softly and gave him the item so he could feel the soft fabric. "I want it to know about my heritage, even if they can only sport the clothes in our new home since people will look at us weird. Our baby will be different but I will not have he or she feel ashamed of who they are. They will grow up proud and safe by both of us."_

"_All right, my mate" he nodded and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Bring whatever you want for our little one. It deserves everything we can provide."_

"_Doesn't it?" she smiled back and opened a new bag containing red pajamas. With an evil grin, she went on, "I got you a new set of pajamas, the same red kind with the yellow smiley faces that you left back in my apartment. You looked so cute in them back then. Obviously I couldn't tell you that since we were friends and you'd have chased me like a maniac again but I can say it now."_

"_Ana, no!" he complained and stomped his foot. He didn't want to wear anything embarrassing, especially in front of his mate. Growling, he spotted another bag next to it and saw a thin silky blue fabric with lace inside. Curiously, he picked it up gently with his fingers and he saw it was a small female nightgown, "What's this?"_

"_For me, to privately show you later" she giggled slyly and put the Victoria's Secret bag away before he could see it better. He brightened up as she said, "My mate deserves something nice from Earth. But don't tear it with your claws this time, I like it."_

"_I already have you and our child, I need nothing better" he purred and grabbed her into his arms. Nipping at her neck gently, he asked, "Are you sure you can't show me now?"_

"_No, our baby's things need to be fixed" she objected and got away from his grip to grab all of her bags. He groaned and watched her head to an area on the ship where she had suitcases of baby stuff stored. "Whether girl or boy, it's going to be the best stylish baby on the Ade'k'ra."_

_(Flashback)_

"_Kantra, feel!" Iliana squealed happily as she scurried over to him in the main room of their new home. He looked up from where he sat reading a tablet and placed his hand over her six month pregnant belly._

_He felt their child kick for the first time and trilled proudly. The child had kicked while he'd been at the office so she'd been waiting for its next session so Kantra could feel it too. Their little one kept hitting the left side of her stomach as he grabbed her into his lap._

"_They give pretty good kicks" she chuckled and placed her hand over his. Smiling curiously, she asked, "What do you think it'll be? I finally caved in and Ani-De's telling me tomorrow."_

"_A boy" he purred softly and felt his child's kicks lessen. His father had told him sucklings liked hearing their father's purrs while in the womb and it actually worked! He kept doing it and continued, "My family is notorious for males and twins."_

"_Twins? You better hope I never have that!" she gasped and he whined pleadingly as she glared, "Your little soldiers better give me one child each only in the future."_

_He gave her a pout and felt his child's kicks stop. Iliana looked at him and asked, "Did you do that? He doesn't stop kicking instantly. . .Kantra, is something wrong? Is-"_

"_No, Iliana" he assured her and she sighed. He stroked her stomach to ease her and continued, "Sucklings like hearing purrs while in the womb, it eases the mother's pressure too. Our little one is perfectly fine and strong in there."_

"_Oh, that's good" she sighed with closed eyes, then opened them to smack him with her hand. "Don't scare me like that. Just for that, I hope it's a girl."_

"_Boy" Kantra teased again and she glared but kissed him on the cheek anyway. He continued purring to his little one as he rubbed his mate's stomach._

_(Flashback)_

"_And as I turned to the right, I see this ugly skeletal creature jumping at me so I quickly grabbed my spear and threw it" Kantra said in a suspenseful voice to his mate as the two laid in their bed together in the dim light. "I nailed the pauk-de through the chest and got my first trophy for the Chiva."_

"_That's. . .heart-pounding and no cursing" Iliana said, stroking her nine-month stomach with one hand and slapping his chest softly with the other. She kissed his cheek softly and asked, "And since our baby's a boy, he'll do that too? That test?"_

"_Yes, most males in our society are hunters" he nodded and bit her earlobe gently. "I was a hunter just like my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and-"_

"_I get it, love" she laughed and wrapped the covers over her body to get warmer. Stroking his muscled chest with her fingers, she ordered, "You better protect our baby over the years then. I don't want anything to happen to him."_

"_He'll get the most training possible" he assured but she didn't look convinced. "I'll make sure nothing happens."_

"_You just said it's dangerous and only students take it" she pointed out and he hung his head. She was right but he didn't know what would make it better._

"_We will see when the time comes" Kantra sighed and held her closer to him. Her face cuddled up to his warm neck as he said, "Worry over bringing our little one to the world for now."_

"_You're right" she agreed and kissed his neck once. "I love you."_

"_Me too, dearest" he purred and stroked her soft cheek with his palm. She leaned into his touch as he nuzzled her face. "I will never let anything take you or my son away from me."_

"_I know, Kantra" she smiled and kissed him. Trailing her fingers over his mandibles, she whispered, "You'll fight for us like I'll fight for you both. Nothing will-"_

_She felt something watery fall between her legs and go downwards. Moving the covers off instantly, she saw a liquid puddle soaking their mattress. Her thin gown was soaked over her back and legs making her sigh._

"_I think our son's ready to come out and meet us" she told Kantra nervously. Then gave him a playful glare, "All that Hunt talk must've riled him up. Thanks a bunch, Kantra."_

"_He'll be a true hunter" he trilled happily and got up from the bed. "I will contact Ani-De while you get ready."_

_(Flashback)_

"_Iliana, why doesn't he stop crying?!" Kantra questioned from their bedroom while holding his three week old infant over his shoulder. He tried holding him closer to his chest but he bawled his eyes out with an accompanied wail. "Is there something wrong?! Everything I do makes him worse."_

_Iliana rushed in and took the crying suckling from him. She cradled him over her shoulder and soothed his back while he sobbed. Kantra massaged his temples and tried to stop the awful ringing in his sensitive ears._

"_He's got a good set of lungs on him" he smiled at his mate who chuckled in return. Kahet lowered his cries into whimpers in a short while and eventually relaxed. Kantra then stroked his soft back gently. "He'll be strong."_

"_He's crying, not lifting a bottle" Iliana said with a smile as their son sniffled. Cuddling his soft body closer, she told Kantra happily, "He's so cute, I love him so much. I don't know what I ever did without him, Kantra."_

"_True but I wish I could get the ringing out of my ears" Kantra trilled and shook his head again. His son watched him with sleepy green eyes and his father stroked his brown hair gently, "He's beautiful, Iliana."_

"_He's ours, our first child" she smiled proudly and stroked her son's back. He whimpered and pressed closer to her for comfort as she held him. "I'll never let him out of my sight for as long as I live. We'll love our little one till the day we die. Our little Kahet."_

_(Flashback)_

"_Who's my cute little baby?" Iliana giggled to her eight-month old as she placed his towel-wrapped nude body on her bed to clothe him after his bath. "Who loves his little baths?"_

_Kahet purred to his mother as she smothered his soft body against her chest playfully and to keep him warm. His hands gripped her shirt as he held on making her chuckle. Squeezing his damp body, she placed him back on the bed as he took a fascination to the beadwork on her dress and tried to grab one._

"_Curious, aren't you?" she cooed and kissed his cheek as she dried his little pudgy arms. "I love you, my handsome son."_

"_And not me?" her mate's voice interrupted teasingly as he entered their bedroom. He sat on the bed to tickle his son's bare foot as his mother dried him. He whined and kicked out his leg towards his father. Kantra chuckled as he continued to whine while Iliana dressed him in his nightly snuggly._

"_Of course I love you, but I have another male who loves me too now" she joked and kissed Kantra once she zipped up her child's pajamas. Letting go, she tickled her son's feet in her hands making him giggle._

"_Doesn't he?" Iliana laughed as his hands waved in protest. His emerald eyes glanced over his parents as he cooed loudly. "My little Kahet."_

_Kantra leaned down to pick up his son and held him close as he purred to him, "It's all right, I'll save you from her ticklish torture. Obviously you're ticklish from her since yautjas are not."_

"_Hey, you're the torturer" she complained but smiled at Kahet returning his father's purr. "Oh, he's so cute when he does that. He really looks and sounds like a mini you."_

"_My genetics are good" he trilled proudly and she rolled her eyes at his remark. Pressing his cheek against Kahet's, he purred, "And you'll be better than me one day as well."_

"_Ooo" Kahet cooed to his father as he babbled nonsensical sounds after. "Ah. .ah ba. . .ooh a. ."_

"_He's trying to get there" Iliana chuckled as Kantra rocked their son in his arms. Kahet tried a few sounds with a curious face as his parents watched fondly. Squeezing his small hand in hers, she smiled encouragingly, "Aren't you, Kahet?"_

"_Aaa. .ma. . ." he cooed and wiggled happily at his mother. "Ma. .am. .mmm. .ama. . .Mama."_

_Both parents looked stunned and Kantra asked, "Did he just say 'mama'?"_

"_He did! He said it!" Iliana cried happily and kissed her son on the cheek, then her mate. "Our baby's first word! Oh, I wish I had a tape recorder. I should've grabbed your mask to record his voice."_

"_No fair, I wanted to be his first word" Kantra said grumpily, feeling rejected. Iliana gave him a sympathetic look and kissed him on the mouth. "That doesn't make it all better."_

"_I know but he'll say yours soon" she assured and stroked his cheek as he purred to her. "He loves his daddy just like I do."_

_Kahet waved his arms for attention and Iliana hugged him. He purred and repeated, "Mama."_

"_Always, my baby" she smiled fondly and kissed his forehead. "Always."_

"_What about Father?" Kantra spoke to Kahet, hoping he'd get another word out. Kahet stared blankly as his father quickly rambled on, "Dad? Daddy? Dada? Sire? Arbitrator? Man who looks after you? Come on, son, give me something!"_

"_Mama" he trilled happily and giggled while his father sulked and collapsed onto the bed in a heap. Kahet glanced at his father curiously and then his mother._

"_Daddy's upset today" she pouted humorously and hugged her son. "Why don't you give Dada lots of hugs?"_

_Kahet nodded and crawled over to his father to hug his face. Kantra was easily amused and felt lighter at the situation. Maybe Iliana was right and he'd say it soon. He tickled his son's stomach as he giggled and fell onto the bed, in a similar fashion to his father._

"_Mama" Kahet purred and pointed to Kantra. He groaned loudly but patted his son's head encouragingly as his mate laughed._

_(Flashback)_

_A two year old Kahet scampered over to his father and pulled himself up onto his bed. Kantra stared at his son who only wore a loincloth diaper and grinned cheerfully at him. He purred for attention and his father scooped him up onto his lap, happy to oblige._

"_What is it, Kahet?" Kantra asked his son, who began to play with the blankets. He looked up with a curious glance and smiled._

"_Tell me a story" he said to his father, who looked back confused. Kahet mimicked the expression and giggled. "Mother tells me lots of stories."_

"_Well, so will I" Kantra said, not wanting to be left out from the parent-child bonding. "What do you want to hear?"_

"_Who's Eliok?" he asked, curiously. Kantra's face drooped and he hung his head low, not expecting that question. "Mama says he's a big alien assassin. What's an assassin?"_

"_He's not that interesting!" Kantra said, waving the topic away quickly. Then tried to think of something, "How about an old clan legend?"_

"_No" he pouted and kept his eyes on his father. Kantra tapped his mandibles thoughtfully as he stroked his chin and Kahet mimicked the action._

_He's adorable at this mimicking stage, his father thought as he watched him._

"_How about an old ooman tale?" he asked, hoping Iliana's gigantic book was around somewhere. She'd written it herself to not forget her human folklore so maybe he could sneak it in._

"_No, mama does that" his son giggled and shook his head. Kantra sighed and wondered what else could interest his pup._

"_How about my first trip to your mama's planet?" he suggested and patted his head._

"_No, you told it already" Kahet pouted again and pointed to himself with a toothy grin, "I remembers."_

"_It's 'remember', little one" his father chuckled amusingly and tickled his son's chin. Kahet giggled and fell on his back over his father's lap playfully. Kantra trilled and tickled his son's bare stomach making him laugh uncontrollably._

"_Dad!" he laughed and his father ceased the tickling._

"_How about. . .seeing my first scary prey?" Kantra suggested again and his son smiled._

"_Oh! I like scary stories!" Kahet said eagerly as he nodded in anticipation._

_(Flashback)_

_Kantra placed his three-year old on the table near the main entrance as he pulled out a medical kit. His son wiped his eyes and tried to not look at his bruised knee._

"_How did it happen?" his father asked softly as he pulled out the contents of the box._

"_I was playing with the twins and fell on a rocky path" he sniffled and looked to the side in self-pity. "I slipped while playing hunters. Does that mean I'll be bad at it?"_

"_Of course not, accidents happen" Kantra chuckled and consoled his son gently. Squeezing his small hand in his larger one, he said, "You'll have all the time in the universe to prepare to be a great Hunter one day."_

_Kahet nodded and watched his father begin to apply the light blue salve on his cut knee. Older warriors got the more concentrated and richer colored portion but he hated this one that stung less either way. He squirmed away from his father but he got pinned in his arm and felt the medicine begin to work. He began crying from the stinging sensation but his father purred to get his attention._

"_It'll pass, ignore the pain and concentrate on something else" he said as his toddler cried in his arms. Kahet nodded but it still didn't feel better. "Injuries happen all of the time, your body will grow used to it."_

"_You're not mad because I'm weak?" he sniffled and wiped his eyes._

"_I could never be mad at you" Kantra said softly and hugged his son. "And you're not weak, little one. In time, you'll be strong."_

"_Like you?" he asked hopeful as his green eyes brightened up._

"_Even better" his father chuckled and lifted Kahet into his arms to carry him. "You'll be better than all of your ancestors one day. Every generation get better than the one before so you'll do fine."_

"_I'd like that" he purred softly and cuddled up to his father. "Thanks, daddy."_

"_Always, my little one" Kantra purred back and walked towards their kitchen area as his toddler cuddled up to him. "Let's get you something to eat." _

_(Flashback)_

_An eight year old Kahet threw stuff all around his room in anger. He kicked his toys and threw his tablets in an uncontrolled frenzy. Throwing blankets and clothes around, he ran out of stuff to break and kneeled on the floor instead. He wiped his burning eyes and tried to stop the usual stream of tears from falling. Slapping himself to stop it, he tried to stop his raggedy breathing but his chest felt more congested. Hearing his door open from behind, he quickly wiped his eyes and tried to cover his face with his long hair._

"_Kahet, what happened here?" his father demanded from behind._

"_Go away! I don't want to talk to anyone!" he yelled angrily and hoped they'd leave him be._

"_Your room is a disaster" Kantra stated as he tried to look at his son's face but he'd curled up so no one could see him. He walked up to him and sat down in front of him. "What is wrong?"_

"_I'm fine!" he said tersely and covered his face with his hands. Kantra grabbed them and pulled them down despite his son fought against him. Seeing his bitter face, his father pushed back his hair to clear his face. "Stop it."_

"_Talk to me, little one" his father said gently. Kahet looked at him slowly but looked away in a second._

"_Kids picked on me again" he said in a wavering tone as he hugged himself. "They. . .called me names and threw me in the dirt inside the gardens. I'm so tired of their name calling! No matter what I do. .I'm. .I'm still a freak to them!"_

"_I try to fit in but they don't care" he confessed and wiped his crying eyes again. He hated his tears but he couldn't stop them as his throat tightened, "They think they're so much better but they're not! It's not just the boys but the girls too! They hate me. . .they don't know anything about me, all they care about is that I'm a hybrid. I hate them! I hate them!"_

"_Kahet, hate is a strong word-" his father began._

"_I don't care! If they hate me, I'll hate them!" he declared furiously as he hit the floor with his fist to vent his emotions. "One day. .one day they'll regret it! I'll be a great hunter and they'll beg! Beg for my forgiveness! And I'll rub it in their ugly faces!"_

_Kantra stared at his stricken son and did the only thing he could think of. He hugged him tightly and let him rant out his emotions about their prejudiced society. Kahet cried and yelled until his throat was sore and was left whimpering in his father's arms._

_I knew it would be hard but I didn't think things would get harder over the years, Kantra thought angrily. He's done nothing to anyone and he's already treated disgracefully! How can I help him? He's a child, not a Bad Blood!_

"_I'm sorry that I can't protect you from those children" Kantra said softly and stroked his hair. "Don't let their hatred turn you into something worse. I'm sorry that it's hard for you here and your mother and I try to keep you safe but it's our fault."_

"_No! You and mother love each other, it doesn't matter what they think about it" his son objected and cleared his raw throat. "They'll never understand us. I'm tired of it, I don't want to be near them anymore."_

"_We can't leave here, son" Kantra said while his son shook his head in protest. Regretfully, he said, "This is the only home we have."_

"_What about Earth? Mother lived there!" he suggested desperately as his eyes widened. "I can't stand it here! I'm sick of looking over my shoulder all the time!"_

"_That planet would kill all of us in an instant" his father informed and watched his son cry out again in fury. "We must stay here."_

"_I hate it, I'll move to the homeworld if I have to" Kahet cried into his father's chest. "I'm tired of getting picked on."_

"_I'll make sure you're protected more if I have to set up guards" his father stated and held his son closer. "Don't cry anymore or else those bullies will win with their slanders."_

"_It hurts, I wish they could disappear" he whispered but nodded nimbly. "I'll listen only because they don't deserve anything from me. They're worthless."_

_Nothing but trash, Kahet thought bitterly. Trash that will crumble at my feet one day._

_Kantra held his son until he fell asleep from exhaustion. Getting up gently, he placed him on his bed and covered him with his blankets. After making sure he was warm and snug, he stayed seated next to his child. He hated seeing his oldest get treated the way he did over the years and all he could do was watch it. No matter how many times he'd stated he'd kill or had actually killed anyone who threatened his family, pups were out of his jurisdiction and Kahet couldn't handle it. He could only hope his son would learn to block them out until he'd be able to protect himself against them physically._

_(Flashback)_

"_Kahet, what'd you do this time?" Kantra asked in a firm tone as he entered the kitchen. His sixteen year old son relaxed in his chair while eating a fruit and sported a few bruises._

"_Beat someone up" he said simply. His father glared in a fatherly 'no nonsense' look and Kahet sighed, "It was fair before you complain."_

"_What happened?" he questioned as he grabbed a chair to sit in. Looking at him, he said, "Leitjin told me you punched out a patient."_

"_Yes, because the scum wouldn't let Leitjin heal his wound because he was a hybrid" Kahet snorted as his green eyes darkened and narrowed in disgust. "Apparently, we now carry magical powers that will infect anyone we touch with hybrid cooties."_

_Kantra tried to glare but his son was in the right. Also, he wanted to laugh at the dark humor he used but cleared his throat to say, "Be that as it may, you can't punch out patients. You're not even supposed to be on that level."_

"_The insect insulted Leitjin and he deserved it!" Kahet insisted and bit into his fruit. "He's lucky I didn't relocate his stomach. Leitjin's the calmest person I know and I'm not letting anyone walk over him! He wants to help people and I'm not going to let them mess with him."_

"_Leitjin must learn to protect himself too if he wants to succeed" his father stated firmly but nodded to his son, "But I'll look the other way on this one. I don't want anyone offending any of my children or they risk death."_

"_Then we're on the same page" Kahet said and stood up to stretch. "I'm tired of any slander from them. I've taken it over the years and now that I can fend for myself, I will instill fear into them and make sure they don't get a foot near me without risking a lost limb."_

"_Good, I'm proud of you" Kantra grinned and his son tilted his head in puzzlement. "There's some things I disagree in and I don't mind voicing it. Don't let anyone walk over you."_

"_If they do, they'll lose the foot" his son trilled and walked out in a happy mood. Kantra watched him leave and chuckled softly._

"_He's growing up" he said quietly and smiled._

_(Flashback)_

_Kahet poked his head into his father's office and entered. Kantra looked up, spotting his son, and put the report he was reading back on the desk. Standing up, he walked over to his son and shook his shoulder._

"_Ready?" he asked, looking over his son._

"_Yes, mother's meeting me at the docking bay in a few minutes" Kahet said with a nod and smiled at his father, "I knew you couldn't come so I decided to drop by unless there's something more important you're doing. I know your position asks a lot of you."_

"_Nothing's more important than my family" Kantra said firmly and patted his son's back. "Don't think I was going to let you leave without saying farewell. You're my first son going off to his Chiva, this is a memorable day."_

"_I'm sure I'll have more brothers over the years do the same" Kahet chuckled but felt pleased at the same time. "I'll be fine, father. You've trained me well over the years so I won't disappoint you."_

"_You've never disappointed me, Kahet" his father stated and looked him in the eyes. "I've been proud of you since the day you were born and it hasn't stopped. You'll complete your Chiva and you'll make me even prouder again. I don't care how many trophies you bring, as long as you're back here alive, that's what counts."_

"_And here I was, thinking of how many trophies to bring back and show off" he joked, faking a somber sigh._

"_You're becoming too much like me, your mother won't like that" Kantra laughed and calmed down from the idea. "It's bad enough you resemble me already."_

"_I'll try to be as honorable as you have" his son admitted and tipped his head in respect. "I've tried to follow in your footsteps as well as all of my elder male kin before me and I hope to succeed when I return."_

"_You will" Kantra said proudly and thumped his chest with his fist softly. "I've tried to raise you as well as I could with your mother. It was scary at first since you had both of our genetics and no one knew about hybrids but we did the best we could. I know there's been times you didn't like my parenting but it was for what I believed was best. And here you are, twenty years after I held you as a suckling, off to begin your own life as a man."_

"_You're the best father I could've asked for" Kahet said and hugged his father. "I'm proud to be your son, I always will."_

_Letting go of him, Kahet continued, "Look after mother, she gets emotional at times like this. If anyone bothers Leitjin, tell me so I can punch them when I return. And tell Aloun'Da to put as many bouquets as she wants in my room despite my angry remarks."_

"_I will" his father nodded and patted his son's back. "Look after yourself, we'll be fine here."_

"_Goodbye, father" Kahet said and left his father's office with one last glance._

"_Goodbye, Kahet" his father said softly, watching his door close and his son leave for his final test._

_My son will be a grown male when he returns, Kantra thought as he looked away from his door. I'm so proud of him. He's my greatest accomplishment so far._

_(End flashbacks)_

"Father! Aloun'Da put a flower crown on my head!" Leitjin complained into his thoughts and Kantra sighed.

_Well, it was good while it lasted_, he thought and opened his eyes lazily.

"Aloun'Da, stop that and give it to your mother" Kantra ordered, parenting his remaining children. "Leitjin, sit somewhere else where she can't bother you."

"Yes, Father" they obeyed quickly. Fortunately, his children weren't rebellious and listened easily to him. Unlike Iliana, his parenting never wavered to their innocent put-on faces when they tried to escape punishment.

_Maybe that's why they always run to her for forgiveness_, he thought.

"You trailed off a bit, didn't you?" Iliana chuckled and kissed his forehead. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled gently, "Something wrong?"

"No, just assuring myself that we did all right as parents" Kantra admitted and trailed his fingers down her cheek. Looking at her, he said, "Kahet's suffered much throughout his youth, I hope he gets a better chance as an adult. He's been a marvelous child since the day he was born."

"All our children are" she said, smiling softly. Looking to the side where the clear glass wall showed the vastness of space, she said firmly, "He's tough, he'll return to us. We've done as best we could as parents, it's up to our little one out there now."

"Except he's not so little anymore" Kantra sighed forlornly and stroked her cheek softly. "He's our greatest accomplishment as parents and the best of us."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(In the depths of space)

Three days had passed since I'd left the Ade'k'ra to head to my Chiva. I was excited to finally take part in my rite of passage into manhood and I would make my lineage proud. The ship would land soon onto the chosen planet but I'd already changed into the armor I had ordered for myself and made sure nothing was either too loose or tight on me. I had trained a while before entering the planet's orbit so my muscles were warmed up a bit already. I also didn't want them stiff before entering the pods that would scatter each student in a different sector to cause no direct head-on competition. The sectors would be monitored by the warriors piloting the ship and my uncle so no accidents would happen. I really hope no unexpected accidents happen. The last thing I need is to get lost within the perimeter with my trophy in check and become a target myself.

I sat on my hard and muscle-cramping bed, if you could even call it a bed, and made sure my ki'cti'pa gauntlets were secure and in working status. My weapons had already been secured in my pod, which would be the seventh one, so all I had to do was wait until all of us were ordered to go below and prepare for the sendoff. I stayed in the small room by myself for now, since the other two residing students decided to go outside and grab a bite before the Chiva came. I rarely ate in the presence of others throughout my life and if I did, it was with my friends or family. I spoke to no one here and it didn't bother me a bit, I'd grown used to it over the years. Surprisingly, the other two students hadn't shunned me out of the bed I chose but it was probably because I had gotten here first. First come, first served, was the rule after all. Despite training with most of these students for years, I wasn't on a friendly basis with anyone nor did I seek to. I was tired of phonies seeking to be friendly, only to insult me behind my back for what I was. I was here for one thing only and I would get it or die trying.

"And I will be the first hybrid on the Ade'k'ra to pass this Chiva" I said in determination as I glanced at the metal wall in front of me. "All my sweat, blood, and tears have been for this moment and I will not fail."

Moving towards the wall where my bed pressed against it, I tucked my finger underneath a small square object stuck in between the tight space. Prying the object out of its cozy hiding spot, I grabbed it into my palm and pressed the end of one claw into a tiny hole on it. The blue holocube lit up in a white glow and produced an image almost as big as my hand. Within the produced image, I saw a moving hologram of my family from five years ago. My parents smiled to the watcher while I grabbed Leitjin into a headlock playfully. My mother then began to separate us while Aloun'Da squeezed our father from behind his shoulder and sucked the air from his throat from her hold. Father then pried her off and she began to cry while Leitjin laughed at her, in which she gave him a hard kick to the head as our mother grabbed her up. The image then stopped moving and reverted to its old 'happy family' position, not the dysfunctional one that occurred seconds later.

_Good times_, I thought in amusement. Longing thoughts then crept into my mind. _I can't wait to see them. I've become so used spending my days with them and now. . ._

_No! I can't focus on that!_, the strategic portion of his mind ordered. _I must eliminate all hindrances to my success today or else I'll fail. I will __not__ let any emotion rise up, not even fear. __Yautjas fear nothing. I will be a lethal killing machine and those hard meats won't know what hit them!_

"Students, you now have ten minutes to reach the sublevel and begin preparations for your Chiva" my uncle's voice went over the ship's main public communicator. It was time. The mere thought sent chills down my spine as I smiled. "After those ten minutes, you have five to settle into your pod before we send it down below. If you are not there, you will be disqualified from the Hunt. It's time to become men or live and die with dishonor."

The communication shut off as I looked outside the window inside the cramped room. Below, I could see a yellowish brown planet surrounded with white clouds which would become larger in the upcoming minutes. Getting up, I made sure I had everything on and that my hair was tightly knotted so it wouldn't get in the way. Nodding to myself, I began to leave and realized I still held the small holocube. My first thought was to throw it onto the bed but then wondered, what if this would be my last day alive?

_Not that it won't. . .but it's still a possibility_, I thought darkly. _If for some reason it is, I want to be sure I hold something dear with me so I don't forget what I've lived for so far._

Giving the object a small squeeze in affection, I tucked it into one of the empty pockets on my belt. Taking a deep breath to relax and seem intact outside, I left my room in a quick pace. Just because I wanted to give everyone an aloof outlook, it didn't mean I was about to miss out on the greatest moment of my life! They could kiss a hard meat for all I care but I was getting down there as quickly as possible.

Within a few minutes, I reached the smaller sublevel which was filled with upright silver pods with closed openings at the bottom of each one, attached to the ship's floor. The level was filled with all of the participating students but I went to my pod directly without looking for idle chitchat. I had been trained for years and given advice to by my respected kin and friends, I didn't need anything else.

"Settle down, pups" Uncle Nak-De's voice boomed into the room and everyone quieted instantly. "Get into your pods and make yourselves comfortable. Once inside, we will secure the pods from the outside so don't think of getting out again. If so, you'll either be disqualified or burn in the atmosphere for opening it without permission! The landing won't be soft so watch your heads. Once you land, you have full authorization to begin but I want no fights between any of you for kills. You're not children anymore, you're about to become men so act like it! We will be monitoring the area with visuals so we'll know. When you've finished catching your prey, you may return to the coordinates imprinted into your on-hand computer."

"Any questions?" he grunted and they shook their heads. "Good, now get in there!"

All of the students listened in respect and eagerness while I simply opened the large hatch door. Checking the inside to see everything in perfect place, I stepped into the small space that barely contained much room. I had to stay on my feet throughout the whole ride but I had to buckle the belts over my chest and waist to make sure I wouldn't smack myself all over the place. I looked over my weapons assortment in front of me where they were held in a safe compartment, I didn't want them flying out at me during the landing. That would be painful and embarrassing to myself and my family. I relaxed in my tiny space as I waited for the instructors to close my door personally. Once again, I couldn't contain the excitement of finally killing my first prey.

"Ready to go?" my uncle's voice asked and I quickly looked at him in surprise. He gave me a firm look and said, "Don't think too long when you're down there. I'm not about to go pick up your dead body down there from your mistake and bring it to your family. Stay sharp and always watch your back."

I nodded silently, feeling chastised since he was right. I couldn't think like this down there without it costing me my life. Fumbling with my words, I managed to say, "If anything happens-"

"You better make sure it doesn't" my uncle barked and I quieted. He looked to the side before glancing back at me, "Listen to your instincts. I've taught you as much as I could, this is up to you now. If you don't feel like you can finish, I will get you and you can try the next cycle-"

"No, I can do it" I stated firmly. I was not about to give up because of my negative thinking. "I've been ready since the day I could hold a weapon. I can do this."

"Keep saying it and do it" he said in a nod and patted my shoulder. The space was so tight that he couldn't even grasp it, just barely pat it. "We all believe in you so get down there and bag yourself a nice Kainde Amedha. I expect you back here with the other surviving students."

"I plan on it" I said with a grin as my uncle secured the hatch tightly from the outside. The small area I was in made me feel a little claustrophobic and I really felt like moving my arms at least a little. I could barely even turn my head to the side. Grumbling, I growled, "This landing better be quick. I feel like one of Aloun'Da's dolls in her toy box."

Over the passing minutes, I went over quick strategies but decided to keep calm until I was on the planet. Once there, my adrenaline would surge so I kept my excitement to a minimum and decided to count numbers in my head instead. When I heard my pod move slightly, I heard a small mechanical voice within the pod somewhere tell me it would detach in a minute.

"Here I go" I told myself in self-encouragement and relaxed while I waited for the short trip to begin.

* * *

**The End**

* * *


	17. Sequel Preview

* * *

  
Note:  
Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for sticking with my tale. I will continue with my story Ancient Kingdom: Desert Winds for now and will post chapters for the sequel once in a while concurrently with the other story in order not to leave readers hanging. But for now, here's a preview of events in the sequel from Partner Of A Bad Blood. Character info and sketches will be posted on my profile before I post the story. Enjoy!

* * *

"We are in the planet's solar system" Sau'Nak said, as he split the main screen in half to bring up a projection of the system they were in. He pointed to a large reddish-white planet on the screen that was zoomed in, "We are nearing the fifth planet here. We've just passed the sixth planet with the rings and should be within Earth's orbit by the end of the day."

"Where's Earth?" Kahet asked curiously as he looked over the chart containing nine planets and their moons. He remembered his mother showing him the charts when he was smaller but he'd never seen a close up image of the planet before.

"It's the fourth planet from the sun" his cousin stated and zoomed into the planet to give him a better look. Kahet looked over the blue planet covered with green patches of land while Sau'Nak continued, "Despite they only have one sun, the planet manages stable life unlike the others around it. Most of it is covered in water as you can see, but the temperatures vary over the entire planet."

"My mother told me" Kahet whispered as he watched his mother's planet rotate within the screen. It looked so pure and untainted from afar, almost like a glass ball that could break with the slightest touch. "It looks so different than ours yet my mother survived on our planet without any gear." Moving his eyes away to clear his head from his reverie, he said, "Have you put in the coordinates my father gave us? I don't want to land in a wasteland or an overpopulated city."

"It's been typed into the navigation course" Sau'Nak responded and cleared away the projection to reveal the full screen again. "We'd get there faster but this system has an asteroid belt so I have to bypass that, otherwise, it'd be a smooth sailing on auto-pilot."

"As long as we get there" Kahet said, giving him a shrug and then sat down in a co-pilot's chair next to his cousin. "I got a glance at the ring planet, it was beautiful. I haven't seen so many like those before."

"I suppose, I'm not one that's excited by them though" his cousin said simply and put the ship on auto-pilot for now. Leaning back in his chair, he turned to Kahet, "All I see is ball of varying size everywhere I go."

"Your vision's different than mine" he said and looked out the window towards the growing star that was Earth's sun. With a smile, he said, "I see a palette of colors with every unique planet and thing in this universe. Every place has its beauty whether it's in a sunrise or the smallest flower. You see in a spectrum dominated by heat while mines is by color so I'm easily entranced by the different hues I discover."

"I've used it with my mask before but I'd rather prefer my natural born eyesight" Sau'Nak said, not really seeing the appeal of it. "Color may be interesting but it doesn't aid in survival. To be honest, I'd feel vulnerable without my sight."

"I like both, one's good for hunting, the other for exploring" Kahet said and placed his hands behind his head to relax. "Are the other planets suitable for exploration?"

"Not on land exploration, we don't have equipment suitable for it" he said, typing into his console to bring back the previous solar system projection. "The larger planets gravitational field would pull us into a crash but the smaller planets are good for a quick look."

"Not the risk-taking type, are you?" Kahet chuckled with a grin at his calm cousin. The male was always a rule-abiding person and looked to the rational and logical aspects for answers to problems. Plainly put, his cousin was one serious guy.

"Of course not, it would only worsen and arise even more problems" Sau'Nak said, shaking his head in disapproval. "I'm not Aru'Dre. You need one level-headed person to keep you all out of trouble."

"What about Leitjin?" he asked, trilling quietly. "He's happy all the time."

"He pleases people with what they want to hear, I don't" he stated plainly and sighed. "I'm studying to be an Arbitrator. I can't appease criminals one day like he does with patients, they're two different things."

"Look at my father, he's humorous and serious" Kahet suggested and laughed. "And he's a damn good Arbitrator so far."

"He's your father, mines is the scariest Arbitrator on board" Sau'Nak said with a small smile in return. "I was raised by two tough people, I'm meant to act the same way. Yours are. . .eccentric."

"Don't I know it" he trilled and sat back in his seat. "I guess I should prepare my weapons for the hunt. . ."

Kahet sunk more into his chair so Sau'Nak looked over and asked, "Aren't you going to do it?"

"Nah, I'll do it later" he said lazily and yawned. "I'm going to watch my mother's solar system fly by."

* * *

"Will, there's a stranger in our home!" Marissa screamed and pointed to Sau'Nak. "Who or what are you?! Don't play with me, buddy!"

Marissa glanced in evident fear at the male, well, he looked like a male to her. He was much taller at 6'11 and towered over her small frame of 5'4 while his skin was an odd blue. . .like sapphire. He was covered in some kind of silver armor around his torso and thighs. He carried weird gadgets that made him actually look like some weird game cosplayer of sort. His face was covered with a sleek and high-cheeked mask silver while hair-like dreads were tied in a ponytail. Whoever he was, he scared the daylights out of her but she was not about to run out of her home by this intruder!

"I'm asking the questions here, ooman!" he growled in annoyance. What the hell were these beings talking about? Why was one oddly calm while the other was reacting normally?

"Hey, he's in character" Will said but winced at his cousin's glare. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Are you lost? Did you trash our cabin? If so, you owe us money, pal."

"What the hell are you babbling about?!" Sau'Nak yelled at the male and decided to question the female instead. "You seem logical. Are you- Put the weapon down!"

Marissa had raised her leftover broom to hit him with but he pulled it out of her grip and threw it aside like a toothpick. She gulped and stared at the tall man. What was he? He wore a bunch of armor and a weird mask, while his skin looked. .well. .alien!

_He could be a man in a costume_, she reasoned in thought but snapped out of it quickly.

"Are you with the government?" he questioned her and she furrowed her brows.

"No! I think they lie to us all the time!" she blurted out and then covered her mouth. "Oh, you're not going to charge me for conspiracy, are you?"

"I'm not with your government, do I look like I am?" Sau'Nak asked, snorting afterwards. These humans were acting oddly illogical!

"You could be and I'm probably being filmed as I speak" she reasoned and then glared, "Now you answer my question: Why are you here?"

Leitjin popped out behind the couch painfully making her jump back in fright. Glaring at Sau'Nak, she demanded, "Any other friends I should know about?!"

"I'm sorry but we needed to hide" Leitjin spoke to her in his friendly 'medic tone'. "I was injured by your government and this was the only place we found for safety."

"You tried to take on the government?" Will asked, surprised. "No one's ever done that and lived!"

Will stared at the other stranger in awe. Where had these guys come from? Yes, he was defensive of why they were here but he wouldn't judge anyone until he knew every piece of information. The other man, obviously his voice was male, wore armor around his torso only but he saw that his skin was brown instead of the other who was blue and was much shorter at 6'5. They looked alike except for the skin tone and height.

"They came to us, we were simply. . .exploring" Sau'Nak said, covering his tracks. Why did Leitjin have to be so trusting? The humans could be playing them for fools as they spoke!

"In armor? This guy looks like a warrior rather than an explorer" Marissa stated skeptically. Poking Sau'Nak's skin quickly, she felt the skin as lightly scaly but warm like hers. And real.

"Don't touch me, you could have germs and pollute my skin with them!" Sau'Nak pointed out and backed away.

"So could you so we'll both die, happy now?" she snapped and looked at Leitjin. "You seem nice so I'll talk to you. What are you? You don't look human despite what my cousin here says."

"We. . .well. .we're aliens" Leitjin said, taking the plain approach. How else could he explain it? Will grinned at Marissa who silenced him instantly with a glare. "We came to visit and your government attacked us in the woods while I was exploring."

"Did they follow you?" Will asked, looking out his window quickly and walked over to close the blinds. "If they know you're aliens, they're not going to let you go."

"How do you know this?" Sau'Nak demanded from him.

"Its how it is here since the 1950's" Will explained with a shrug. "People say it's true, some say aliens don't exist, and some say the government either hides it or makes it up. There's theories everywhere!"

"He's pro-alien" Marissa stated simply and looked at each of them. "So, you're here on the friendly approach or to conquer us?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already" Sau'Nak said coldly. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him sharply.

* * *

"You won't believe what we just saw!" Bianca shouted as she ran inside and Christina lagged in from behind sluggishly.

Marissa and Will tried to cover both aliens but failed miserably since Leitjin was sprawled on the couch and Sau'Nak was more than a foot taller. Bianca stopped as her eyes widened. She was about to scream at seeing the creature behind her cousins but Marissa ran over and covered her mouth to silence her. Christina, however, was another topic.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" she yelled from shock and anger. Looking from Marissa to the blue alien, she then noticed the state of the cabin, "What did you do?! Have a frat party in here?!"

Marissa closed the door tightly and grabbed both women to a separate area while Will went back to asking curious questions. Christina glared at her while Bianca whimpered and tried to run off.

"They needed help and I gave it to them" Marissa explained as simply as she could. "They were here before Will and I arrived and we thought they were burglars or something. They looked all weird in their getups. So-"

"You did this!" Christina yelled to the aliens. "Just because you're hurt does not mean you're not paying us and mooching off!"

Marissa yanked her attention back by saying, "They're aliens, Chris. Real friggin' aliens. I'm not talking about weird monsters of our world but X-Files aliens."

"Oh. . .damn" she sighed and took a deep raggedy breath. Letting out steam, she yelled out again, "Correction: Just because you're from another planet doesn't mean you're not paying us and mooching off!"

"Chris!" Marissa yelled and sighed at her ongoing glare. Giving her an innocent look, she went on, "I kinda promised they could stay here until the brown one heals so they can go off and take down the government for hurting them."

"Mari, they're-they're aliens!" Bianca whimpered and bit her bottom lip from fear. She watched the aliens from behind Christina and pulled at the end of her sweater's sleeves to relieve the sudden shock.

"Wait a minute!" Christina mumbled and yelled out, "Did you guys follow us from the woods?"

"What are you talking about?" Leitjin asked, confused. Tilting his head, he said, "We've never met or seen you."

"Eh. . .You haven't?" she asked, scratching her head. "But I saw three of you a while ago. . .Hmm. .Now that you mention it, I never saw a blue guy there."

"Who's blue?" Sau'Nak asked, clueless. The gibbering of these creatures were grinding his nerves. Leitjin sighed and shook his head. Then in a sharp tone, demanded, "You saw more of us, where?"

Who does he think he is? Coming into my cabin and demanding answers?, she thought angrily. He's the alien in my place!

"I'm not gonna say anything with that attitude" Christina snapped and turned around. He growled and looked at Marissa.

"I'm guessing she's the terror you spoke of" he said, arrogantly. She smiled at him for once but Christina yanked her back.

"This isn't an alien hovel, this is dangerous!" she pointed out as she narrowed her angry eyes at the brunette. "Why didn't you think rationally? You're the smart one!"

"I did, they needed help and I gave it" Marissa said meekly and looked at her fingers. When the woman was furious, she avoided her evil eye. "I couldn't kick them out, Leitjin's injured."

"Lei-who? You gave them names?!" Christina shouted and pointed at them as if they weren't there. Leitjin tried to scoot closer to the couch and fuse with it to escape while the pilot glared at her awful mannerisms. "If they needed help, you give them meds and send them on their way and say 'have a nice day'."

"We have names, we're not pets, ooman!" Sau'Nak growled at the fuming woman, who instantly tore off her jacket and threw it at him in a fit.

"Shut up, I'm a mad woman and I have the floor!" she yelled and turned back to Marissa. Bianca decided to walk over to the aliens and stay in that refuge despite not knowing them. "I just saw a bunch of feds beat the crap out of guys like these! And they weren't easy to take down either, I saw a bunch of dead bodies on the floor too!"

Grabbing Marissa closer, she whispered angrily, "What if they threatened you if you rejected them? For all you know, they could've killed you and Will, Mari. You can't trust everyone you see just because they're injured. Especially if they're aliens!"

"I can hear you" Leitjin spoke up making both women look up. Pointing to his head, he said, "Good hearing. Anyway, I would never cause you harm. For one, they aided me and I am in your debt. And two, I'm a medic and I can't legally hurt anyone unless I'm in danger. So there."

"He's. .he's a doctor" Marissa added in helpfully to Christina, who's eye was practically twitching.

"Oh, that makes everything better!" she snapped furiously and pointed to Sau'Nak. "And what's he? A top intergalactic business executive?!"

"I'm a pilot, you whiny brat" Sau'Nak hissed furiously. He really was getting irritated by her behavior. She really was worse than the other one.

* * *

A muffled shout went off inside the tent and seconds later, a bone crunching sound was heard. Aru'Dre dropped the motionless human body onto the floor and looked around the tent. All he could see was a table with papers and scattered weapons. Throwing the stuff aside, he broke the weapons he held to release some fury.

"Where the hell are my things?!" he cursed in his language as his golden eyes narrowed.

"Stop making noise and hide the carcasses" Kahet ordered quickly as they tucked away the bodies behind some crate looking objects. Looking at Bakuub, he said, "This is getting us nowhere. We may have to split up and search each tent alone."

"That's what happened to us the first time, I'm not getting caught again" Aru'Dre growled quietly and showed them his wrists. "Those oomans ruined my beautiful skin and they will not touch it again!"

"Those are good points but obtaining our belongings is the main objective right now" Bakuub said, glaring at the tent walls with a snort. "Pathetic creatures."

"Good thing some are asleep, it is nighttime here and their vision is poor" Kahet said, blinking his eyes repeatedly. "Just like mine. I can barely see anything past ten feet from me. I need to get my mask back."

"Me too" Aru'Dre grumbled and crossed his arms in annoyance. "That's one reason why I'm against splitting up. My vision and Kahet's suck."

"Thank you for pointing that out, again" his cousin growled and resisted from kicking a table in the tent. "What will we do? Unless something distracts their attention-"

Multiple sounds rang out into the night as Kahet's sentence broke off. The three strained to hear what it was but light footsteps began to cover the sound. Great, the humans were awake now.

"Whatever it is, it has their attention" Aru'Dre snorted and looked at Bakuub, "Should we make a run for it?"

* * *

Kahet walked into the eerily silent but bloody hallway and spotted Aru'Dre coming to retrieve his spear calmly.

"Ah, this is fun" he trilled as he spotted his cousin with the ally humans. Pointing to the entrance, he said, "Let's go. Bakuub already left and is waiting. The ship is right in the clearing and Sau'Nak is practically shooting off any reinforcements like target practice."

Kahet nodded and moved towards the entrance at the end before realizing Aru'Dre had stayed behind. He ushered the two humans onwards as he turned to look at him, "What're you doing?"

"Leaving the pauk-de oomans with a small present" he trilled and activated the self-destruct bomb of his gauntlet. He rapidly pulled it off and threw it into the hallway.

Kahet and he began to run to the entrance as the bomb ticked from behind. The two hunters sprinted out of the door-less entrance and spotted the ship hovering over the field. They could feel the heat from the thrusters tingle their skin as they quickly saw the ramp and jumped onto it. Eshin'Ga was at the control and she pulled the switch to close the hatch as their ship pulled into the air. They could hear a last fire shoot into the field before they flew into the sky.

"Are you two all right?" she asked, looking them over like a mother.

"Just a few grazes, they had nothing on us" Aru'Dre scoffed and showed her his trophies arrogantly. "Not bad, eh? Especially after what they did."

"I'm sure the females will pour all over you when we return" Eshin'Ga chuckled and ushered them up the stairs.

"They better" Aru'Dre snorted as Kahet shook his head at his words.

* * *

~Hope you enjoyed the small preview of the story. As you can see, many characters will be involved and that's from the first half of the story.


End file.
